Things seemed to be going back to normal at Mabuhay Elementary School in Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte.

After two years of learning at home due to COVID-19 restrictions, the school finally resumed face-to-face classes. This was a welcome development for both students and teachers. But just when things were looking up, Super Typhoon Odette (international Name: Rai) came in December and turned their world upside down again.

Mabuhay Elementary School, which was supposed to be the residents’ refuge, was also destroyed by Odette, damaging every classroom in the compound and taking away hope of classes going back to normal.

Temporary Learning Spaces

Today, the familiar din of schoolchildren is back in Mabuhay Elementary – thanks to UNICEF tents, which were designed to help communities in emergency contexts.

In Mabuhay, the tents have been set up as Temporary Learning Spaces, allowing for the resumption of limited in-person classes of students in Grades 1 to 4. As most of the school supplies were destroyed in the typhoon, UNICEF also distributed a school in a box kit and learner kits to every student from kindergarten to 6th Grade.

These measures have provided renewed inspiration for students like 11-year-old Rab Castillon. Rab only moved to Siargao early last year to escape COVID-19 in Manila – only to find himself in the middle of the strongest typhoon to ever hit the island. Still, he looks onwards to pursuing his dreams.

“The kit contained a sketch pad which I can use to practice drawing. One day, I’ll become an architect, and I’ll come back here and rebuild this school,” said Rab.

Child Friendly Spaces

Temporary Learning Spaces are only one of the ways tents have been used in Siargao Island’s Super Typhoon Odette emergency response. In the town of San Benito, a UNICEF tent was transformed into a Child Friendly Space (CFS).

“Because playgrounds, schools, and even their own homes were badly damaged, these kids have no areas where they can just play. This is a safe haven for them,” said France Donoso, a Field Assistant from UNICEF partner Community and Family Services International.

In the tent, France and other volunteers provide toys and facilitate sports and play activities for over 60 children. While it may just seem like fun and games, France said the Child Friendly Space accomplishes something more vital.

“It’s actually very hard for children to unpack trauma after an event like the typhoon. They can’t just undergo regular therapy. So through playing, sharing, and even just interacting with other kids, we help them realize there is still hope.”

Rural Health Units

Various municipalities on the island also reeled from the destruction of health centers post-Odette. Thankfully, UNICEF tents also serve as Rural Health Units (RHU) and are now supporting eight Siargao towns.

“Emergency situations are when these towns need health services the most,” said Martin Parreño, Health Specialist for UNICEF in Mindanao. “The circumstances following a typhoon make children especially prone to communicable diseases like diarrhea, whooping cough, and pneumonia.”

In addition to allowing for consultation and outpatient treatment, the tents also helped local governments continue regular COVID-19 vaccination efforts, give assistance to pregnant and lactating mothers, and act as Operations Centers to coordinate emergency response.

To date, UNICEF tents have served over 32,000 Typhoon Odette-affected individuals in the provinces of Dinagat and Surigao Del Norte.

UNICEF and partners continue to work on the ground to this day as children and families recover. You can help by donating at bit.ly/UNICEFEmergencies.