Overcoming trauma through play at child-friendly spaces in Vanuatu

Two days after Rael gave birth to her daughter Grace*, a devastating 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck her home island in Vanuatu.

In the chaos that followed, Rael took care of her newborn and two-year-old son, Campbell*, while her husband was frequently away for work. "Given my husband is away most of the time, so it has always just been myself and the two children," she shared.

Many children, including Rael's son, were deeply affected by the sudden and violent nature of the earthquake, which hit Vanuatu's Shefa Province on December 17, 2024. To support kids like Campbell, Save the Children established child-friendly spaces in affected communities. With funding from the Humanitarian Coalition and the Government of Canada, these spaces provided children with psychosocial support, a sense of normalcy and opportunities to heal through play.

Rael brought both her children to the child-friendly space near her home in Erakor, where Grace could nap and Campbell could join activities designed to help him process the crisis. "The child-friendly space activities are helpful as they help my two-year-old to overcome most of the trauma he has been through right after the earthquake," Rael said. "He comes home at the end of the day and smiles and talks about what they did at the child-friendly space."

These moments of joy and recovery became vital for Rael's family. Save the Children offered her son a place to play and reconnect with friends, as well as giving Rael peace of mind as she managed daily household responsibilities and adapted to post-disaster life.

Six months after the earthquake, Rael reflected on how far her family had come. "I have seen a lot of recovery psychologically with my two-year-old son and now my six-month-old daughter," she explained. "Campbell is no longer scared to go out and play with his friends." And thanks to the coping strategies he learned, Campbell is able to stay calm and seek comfort when he's startled by an aftershock or the noise from a plane overhead.

Rael's story shows the importance of supporting youth and their mental health after a crisis. Through the child-friendly space, her children have found safety and joy once again — and Rael has found renewed strength to continue rebuilding her family's future.

*Some names have been changed for safety reasons