Teachers in earthquake-affected areas of Kashmir are pledging to make classrooms joyful and stimulating environments.
Making school fun
They are taking part in a ‘joyful learning’ project run by Tearfund partner Adult Basic Education Services (ABES). In Asia children traditionally learn by rote – taking in information and repeating it. ABES encourages child-centred, active learning, using stimulating learning technique, and they're training teachers to do the same.
Primary aged pupils in Kharn Abbasi village. Their school was destroyed by the earthquake and lessons now take place outside.
‘Joyful learning energises both teachers and children alike so that going to school becomes a positive and interactive experience which takes learning beyond the classroom. For example, I have seen tiny children in refugee camps singing about handwashing in their homes, says Tearfund worker Sarah Dodd. ‘I’m looking forward to seeing what changes children affected by the earthquake will make in their homes after experiencing disaster-preparedness joyful-learning style.’
Schools were destroyed in the earthquake which struck in October 2005. Pupils and teachers have had to improvise – using tents and the outdoors as makeshift classrooms. In the mountains of Pakistan, Tearfund partner Shelter Now International (SNI) is beginning to rebuild schools to earthquake proof designs.
Problems with rebuilding
Rebuilding throughout the earthquake-affected region has been slow. One of the problems is the question of where to rebuild. Some villages were razed completely by the quake so it is not safe to rebuild in these places. People have not yet been told whether they are entitled to replacement land.
And harsh conditions have made it impossible to build during the past two winter seasons. Many people are still in temporary shelters, which are quite robust, but it is an ongoing issue for the community, the government and aid agencies.
More than 5,000 families from Pakistani-administered Kashmir are still living in tented camps. Living conditions here are cramped and disease spreads easily because of poor sanitation and the cold and rain.
In March, heavy rains flooded some tented camps and caused a series of fatal landslides. There is still the risk of landslides at the epicentre of the earthquake. During the winter, SNI distributed shelter kits in Muzaffarabad.
Be prepared
Disaster preparedness runs through all of Tearfund’s work. Many lives were lost in October 2005 because people were not prepared. School teachers kept the children inside because they thought this would protect them. And houses, school and hospitals had not been built using earthquake-proof techniques.
ABES will run training sessions for teachers in how to respond to emergencies, for example holding fire drills and making sure children know the quickest route out of the building. They will also teach children how to respond to emergencies using material produced for their joyful learning courses.
One of Tearfund's partners, Shelter for Life, is working alongside communities, educating them about earthquake-proof construction techniques and helping them to prepare for future disasters. Skills learnt can be passed on to future generations.
Thank you for your generosity and your prayers. With your help we’re bringing hope to communities and helping them rebuild what was lost.