Admiring such scenes, no one can imagine both the children and teachers experienced a devastating typhoon just a couple of months ago.
“The wind was very strong since the afternoon of September 28th 2009, a day before Typhoon Ketsana affected our area. Both iron roofs of our classrooms and of some houses nearby were blown up, clashing on the air noisily. The wind blew up our outdoor entertainment facilities easily like small toys,” recalled Phan Thi Cam, Principal of Trieu Trung Kindergarten in Trieu Trung Commune, Trieu Phong District in which 265 children are studying.
“Looking that scene, my colleagues and I inside a classroom didn’t dare to go out. All plastic ceiling of some other classrooms were collapsed and tube lights were damaged,” continued the 50-year-old teacher.
Heavy rain as consequence of the typhoon caused serious flooding in the region. “The flood remained for three days and the water level was as high as 80cm inside classrooms,” the woman added. “The flood left classrooms in deep mud and rubbish after it ebbed.”
A branch of Trieu Son Primary School was in similar bad condition when the typhoon struck the area.
“Roofs of some classrooms at the branch were either blown up or heavily damaged,” said Vo Van Hao, Principal of Trieu Son School. “Some trees inside our schools were broken by strong wind.”
A week after the disaster, students resumed their study at Trieu Son and Trieu Trung Schools while their classrooms hadn’t recovered their normal appearance.
“We collected old tiles and iron sheets to make temporary roofs on remaining rotten wood frames of the damaged classrooms,” Hao said. “We were always afraid that the roofs might fall on our students at that time.”
Witnessing the aftermath of the typhoon, the two principals, however, recognized that the damage would have been more if their schools hadn’t made any preparation.
“All teaching documents and learning equipment were dry,” Cam narrated. “Two days before the typhoon, we removed our teaching facilities and books onto higher places because we were warned of the powerful typhoon. We closed and carefully tied doors and windows of all classrooms, and asked parents not to take their children to school for a week. Some of my staff and I stayed at school to take any reaction in case of emergency.”
Students of Trieu Son Primary School resumed their study some weeks after Typhoon Ketsana damaged their classrooms.
“Our teachers put sand bags on roofs of each classroom so only one branch of our school was affected. Another branch and the headquarter was safe,” Hao showed. “Our team on flood and storm control was ready to do their duty as soon as Typhoon Ketsana was forecast to affect Quang Tri.”
The two principals explained the move was made as they schools both participated in training courses which are regularly organized by World Vision’s Trieu Phong Area Development Program (ADP).
“The training courses have taught us about disaster preparedness and mitigation. We learn to make a plan to prepare with a natural disaster or join in disaster simulations,” Hao continued. “The courses are practical for us because our areas are vulnerable to disasters such as storms, floods and droughts. Our school has drafted such plan and established a team on flood and storm control before July every year, which is the beginning of storm season.”
“After the training, we, teachers, have also provided the knowledge to our students and their parents so as to raise their awareness about disaster preparation,” the principal said. “The children now know to keep their learning facilities dry and safe. They used to lose their books and notebooks or have them wet when a storm hit our areas 7-8 years ago.”
Commenced in the district in 1999, Trieu Phong ADP has implemented a number of activities related to agriculture, education, health and economic development to improve living conditions of local people. To ensure local people in the disaster-prone area have a sustainable life, the organization has also focused on raising local awareness and capacity with disaster prevention and mitigation.
“At least one member of each family have taken part in World Vision-organized disaster prevention training courses,” said Nguyen Minh Sy, a World Vision’s volunteer in Trieu Son Commune. “Till date, schools, families, villages, communes and the district have had their own detailed disaster preparedness plan. With World Vision’s assistance, each commune establishes a quick response team before a storm season comes.”
At present, all damaged classrooms in Trieu Trung Kindergarten and Trieu Son School are repaired after Trieu Phong ADP assisted schools and villagers with iron sheets.
“Our teacher and children in the age of 18 months and five years old spent ten days at damaged classrooms which were temporarily covered by canvas. Everything has resumed since World Vision assisted us with metal sheets,” the principal of Trieu Trung Kindergarten said when pointing out to some children who were playing joyfully at the playing-ground.
“Without World Vision’s support, our school activities couldn’t have become normal soon,” she said.
