Disaster Preparedness & Response

After the earthquake in Morocco destroyed homes and buildings throughout the High Atlas Mountains and other regions, our partners assisted with relief efforts and then with rebuilding – including a playground for the school!

It was hard to believe, but this was the first time the young girl had ever seen a playground, let alone actually played on one. Initially she looked around shyly, almost as though not sure she was allowed to be there. Then, tentatively, she slowly climbed onto the spring swing which had the motif of a sheep on the sides. As she began to rock back and forth she could not hide her joy, as evidenced by the growing smile on her face. While the tower and slide nearby were dominated by the larger and more boisterous group of boys, this girl had found a place where she could be in her own little world and experience the simple yet profound joy found in a small piece of playground equipment. Excitedly she announced “I’m going to stay here all day until sunset”! Whether she was still there at sunset or not I cannot say, but a long time later when I looked across the playground she was indeed still there, rocking back and forth, her smile just as wide.   

  As we carried yet another load of tools and materials up the steep and rocky track to the flat area of ground in front of the school building, one boy came over to ask a question. While he had never played on one before, he had somehow heard of a seesaw, and using a stick and his fingers to describe it he asked whether we might possibly be building one of those. The excitement he had when I told him that indeed we were going to build a seesaw was so special, and indeed contagious! That afternoon the seesaw was installed, and from then until close to sunset when we drove away there wasn’t a moment the seesaw wasn’t in action, bouncing up and down with at least 3 or 4 children on each side!