Palchenai Vidyalam (school) is back to life since it was reopened for its children mid March, after they returned home. Under its tin-roofed long tent five classes have been carefully accommodated with nothing physically separating them. But no one seems disturbed and everyone seems to take care not to disturb the other classes.

The outer wall of the school still bears paintings that the children had drawn before the out break of the war. One of them is a minefield. Landmines are more familiar to them than a football.

The painting belongs to the grade five (ten-year-olds) students and they love to speak about what they have learnt about landmines and how to be careful.

“That is why we are told not run off the road or even play in empty fields,” Juvarajan says, “we should always look out for that sign with the skull and two bones.”

Play time has always been limited for the children of these war affected areas not only because of landmines, but also because of many other fears that are usually familiar with conflict situations.

May be that is why Palchenai Vidyalam has never had a playground in all its 55 years. And that is why World Vision thought the best gift to the school in this resettled area would be a playground.
 
The news has already spread among children and all that they associate with the white star on the orange background is the playground. The logo is enough to brighten their faces.

“I’d be more than happy if you would build us a swing,” smiles Sivaniya (10), “I’ve never been to a playground in my life, but I saw one near the displaced camp where we lived in.”

Sivaniya and her friends will have not only a swing but six different play setups on their grounds.

“It is such a valuable gift. These children need just that,” says S Karunarasa the Vice Principal of the school.

“They have seen such a lot of tragedy and been through much trauma and playing is very important to them,” he says, “the playground would be a therapy that would help them recover and enjoy their childhood once again”.

Well, in time to come, that might change the paintings on the outer wall of Palchenai Vidyalam.

Four more schools in this Vaharai resettlement area would receive playgrounds from World Vision and Child Societies would begin soon, accommodating them in psychosocial activities and leadership programmes.

World Vision is also assisting the schools with catch-up classes for children who have forgotten to read and write due to continuous missing out on school during the troubled times.