Schools officially reopened in Vanuatu at the end of March but for thousands of pre-schoolers across the island nation, there are no kindergartens for them to return to.

Tropical Cyclone Pam wiped out homes and schools when it struck Vanuatu on 13 March. Up to 60,000 school-aged children have been affected and while some students have been able to resume their learning, many schools have been badly damaged or completely destroyed and will take months to rebuild.

Young children are particularly vulnerable because Vanuatu`s Ministry of Education does not fund kindergartens. Instead, these are generally funded though school fees and small-scale fundraising in the local communities. However, fundraising at a time when many families are rebuilding their homes, gardens and livelihoods is extremely difficult, and raising fees is likely to result in less children attending class.

This is why ChildFund Australia has partnered with Live & Learn Vanuatu to help rebuild two kindergartens that were completely destroyed on the outskirts of Port Vila. The schools are being constructed using the latest cyclone-resistant kindergarten designs and will include rainwater systems and toilets so that children have access to safe water and sanitation. Both kindies will also be wheelchair-accessible.

“The project goal is to rebuild both kindergartens to get the children back into a normal and stable learning environment within four months of Cyclone Pam, without placing further financial burden on the communities or parents,” says Anjali Nelson, team leader of Live & Learn Vanuatu.

Live & Learn has engaged a team of local professional builders to support the reconstruction effort, as well as volunteer workers from the two communities. On one of the sites, a group of volunteer builders from New Zealand Vanuatu Rebuild also pitched in for 10 days.

The project is on track, however, it has been a bit of an uphill battle with construction materials in short supply and a severe lack of water.

“The biggest issue so far has been the acute shortage of water in the area,” says Ms Nelson. “Although we have had a period of heavy rain, we couldn`t collect sufficient quantities of water for the concrete mix, mainly due to the shortage of water tanks and drums which were destroyed in the cyclone. Instead, we had to truck in water, which has slowed down the rebuilding process.”

Still, working together with the community, combined with patience and a lot of improvising, the team has managed to keep the project on schedule and at this stage the kindergartens are due for completion by mid-July.

ChildFund together with Live & Learn will also be supporting families of the kindy children to rebuild their livelihoods, providing chickens and poultry management training, and seedlings for home gardens.

In the aftermath of a cyclone, children are most vulnerable. They’re scared, perhaps separated from their families and may have seen their homes and communities destroyed.

Five-year-old Paloma`s preschool was completely destroyed by Cyclone Pam on 13 March. She is one of more than 40 children in her community whose education has been disrupted.

Below we explain the impact Cyclone Pam has had on children like Paloma, and how we’re helping to return the children in her community to normality.

Cyclone Pam devastates Vanuatu

Paloma lives in a small village on the outskirts of Vanuatu`s capital, Port Vila. Her community is made up of mainly migrant families who survive on very little income. Access to education, healthcare and other basic services such as water and sanitation is limited.

Head teacher of Paloma`s preschool, Celina, says: “During the cyclone we took shelter in a big stone house of our friends. Before we packed some books and moved them to the big house. When I came to the kindy in the morning after the cyclone, it was destroyed. Now we need to rebuild it, as our kids need to go to preschool.”

Helping children return to normality after disaster

In post-disaster situations, it is important that children can return to normality as soon as possible to minimise their trauma. Playing with their friends and resuming classes at school is a vital part of the recovery process. But with up to 50 per cent of Vanuatu`s education infrastructure destroyed or badly damaged, thousands of children are still unable to return to school a month after Cyclone Pam hit the tiny Pacific island nation.

26-year-old Lydia and her family live near the destroyed preschool that her three-year-old daughter, Luisa, attended. Lydia was due to give birth to her second child on the day the cyclone hit. Thankfully, she delivered a healthy baby girl two days later.

“We took shelter at a friend’s house,” says Lydia. “I was very afraid that the house would collapse and I could lose my family and my unborn child. But the walls of the house were strong enough. Two days after the cyclone I gave birth to my second daughter. Now I`ve come to help the teachers rebuild the kindy so kids from our village can start to go to preschool again.”

Reconstructing preschools so children can resume their education

ChildFund Australia, in partnership with Live & Learn Vanuatu, is supporting the reconstruction of these preschools so that children like Paloma and Luisa can return to a normal and stable learning environment as soon as possible. With the community contributing some materials and labour, donations from ChildFund will help provide additional resources to ensure the preschools are rebuilt quickly with improved construction materials and design to strengthen their resilience against future disasters. Water systems and sanitation facilities will also be restored and upgraded, so that children have access to safe drinking water and toilets, and hygiene training will be provided to protect children`s health.

ChildFund Australia CEO Nigel Spence says: “We are thankful to everyone who has donated to help rebuild schools and water systems in these poor and highly vulnerable communities in Vanuatu. The damage in these areas is extensive and they need urgent help. Your support will help keep children safe and minimise the disruption to their lives and education.”

Donate now to help children affected by disaster and crisis

To help children like Paloma, you can contribute in a number of ways. Make a donation and we’ll use your gift to help children who need it most, or become a Project Humanity partner to provide ongoing support.

Your donation will help rebuild schools, infrastructure and provide children with clean water in the aftermath of a crisis. Why donate? Because every child needs a childhood.