Creart in Thailand
Creart provided psychosocial support to child survivors of the tsunami.
Context
On 26 December 2004, a powerful 9.3-magnitude underwater earthquake (the second largest ever recorded), with an epicentre off the coast of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, triggered a massive tsunami with waves of up to 30 metres that killed more than 250,000 people in 14 different countries. Relief organizations reported that almost a third of the deaths were children.
The countries most affected by this natural disaster were Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. The scale of the tragedy prompted a massive humanitarian response. In total, the world community donated more than $7 billion in humanitarian aid to those affected by the earthquake.
The tragedy left more than 5,000 victims in Thailand, with the coast of Phang Nga province being the most affected area of the country.
Creart’s intervention
- Creart carried out an intensive psychosocial accompaniment programme with the children who survived the tsunami. The work focused on the coastal area of Thailand most affected by the natural disaster, the Phang-Nga province.
- Interventions were carried out in two different spaces within the Takua Pa district: the refugee camp set up with local and international aid in the town of Bang Muang; and the school in Nam Kem, a coastal village that was destroyed by the tsunami.
- In both areas Creart organised a daily programme of psychosocial accompaniment workshops through artistic expression for 4 weeks with the urgent aim of alleviating emotions such as fear, anger, frustration and the pain of loss. The obsessive drawing of destructive giant waves progressively disappeared from the creations giving way to flowers, smiles and a calm sea.