By Candy Shao

When a truck full of pre-fabricated plates arrived at the front gate of Zhuandou Primary School in Zhuandou Township, Guangyuan City, children from all over the village turned up to investigate how it worked to build a pre-fabricated house.

Little Su Jie was no exception. Watching the workers unload the plates, Su Jie was curious to know what the pre-fabricated house would look like.

This 12-year-old boy has struggled for words since the May 12 earthquake, spending his days staring at the empty sky. That day, he and his classmates were busy preparing for their final examinations. Suddenly, all of them were shocked by some loud, roaring noise.

“All of a sudden, the whole world was shaking. None of us was able to stand firmly. We were all swaying awfully… We heard some teachers yell, ‘It’s earthquake! Run!” and then we all followed our teachers and ran out to the playground.”

He was clearly still afraid recounting the moment the quake rocked the land.

After this 8-magnitude earthquake, his school was declared as dangerous premises. Cracks were seen on walls in the primary section while the older teaching complex in the junior high school section was more badly damaged, with lots of bricks and tiles fallen off during the major tremors. Many students were hurt. Witnessing how his school turned from heaven to hell, Su Jie was terrified.

Su Jie used to be a smart and hardworking student, looking forward to graduating to Guangyan Secondary School. He would walk 15 minutes from home to school every day. After the quake, he refused to step out of his house out of fear. With school suspended, and frequent aftershocks, he began to believe it was the end of the world.

Since then he has been quiet, reflecting and mourning on the suffering of his classmates.

People in the village had also moved to seek temporary refuge in tents they put up on the field. Not only had the quake shaken off the school of Su Jie, it also shook off his friends.

* * *

World Vision had brought 150 of these pre-fab buildings to quake-affected Gyuangyuan City in Sichuan province, to provide secure, safe public buildings such as schools and hospitals. This one, set up quickly over a couple of days in an open area near the old primary school, was being built to house one of World Vision’s Child Friendly Spaces (CFS). When it was finished, it was decorated as if for a party and all the children of the area were invited to come and take a look.

Since the earthquake, many of the children had been living in tents, humid, hot and stuffy during the day, and often leaking rain. It was hard to stay cheerful.

Unlike tents, pre-fabricated houses would not leak, not even on rainy days. Children could stay cool, enjoy their study and have fun in a safe and bright place. They knew they did not have to worry about the safety of the structure.

It was just what Su Jie needed. Since World Vision launched the Child Friendly Space for students of the old Zhuandou Primary School in late June, Su Jie has found the motivation to step outdoors at last.

* * *

On July 12, it was the third time Su Jie had come to the Child Friendly Space. He was already showing signs of relief over fear of the earthquake and smiling more often than before. At the library and toy corner, he could find his favourite story books. When we met him, he was playing with plasticine, making a beautiful red rose.

He called out excitedly, seeing a friend for the first time. “Zhang Yukai! You’ve come here too!”

The two boys had been closest companions in school, but their paths had not crossed since the earthquake struck.

As a newcomer to the Child Friendly Space, Zhang Yukai was curious about everything. Su Jie happily led him through the room, helping him to feel at home, introducing him the library and toy corner as well as the rules of the games.

After their long separation, these two young friends could not stop chatting and smiling. They agreed to meet each other every day from now on at the Child Friendly Space. With a safe place to play and a good friend’s company, Su Jie was truly overjoyed.

“This Child Friendly Space is even better than home!” he told us.