BY JANE JAFFER
Eighteen ‘Let’s Read’ volunteers from Oman, Zanzibar, Lebanon, India, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Algeria drove along the Batinah Coast in a six-car convoy.
We were chatting away quite happily to each other until we reached the outskirts of Al Khabourah and witnessed, first-hand, the terrible impact the tropical cyclone Shaheen had on the area when it made landfall on October 3, 2021. No one spoke, scenes of devastation were everywhere. In its wake, the cyclone had tragically left more than a dozen people dead.
We saw hundreds of fallen trees, abandoned vehicles and destroyed crops. People had lost their lives and their livelihoods. Houses and cars had been washed away in the torrent of fast-flowing muddy water which had raged through the town destroying everything in its path.We drove through the town and parked outside a large majlis hall.
Al Khabourah residents were still cleaning up as we arrived and we thanked them for providing us with a space. Luckily, the electricity supply had been restored. We quietly carried bags of books, stationery, craft activities, face paints, toys, clothes, shoes and refreshments into the hall and set things up. Children who had been affected by the cyclone soon started arriving. We noticed they were quiet and subdued.
We knew that they had all gone through a very frightening experience. Some had lost everything. Life would never be the same again. Many families had taken shelter in schools, others had been moved into hotels or were staying with relatives. We gathered the children together, sang songs, told stories, and encouraged the children to talk about the traumatic experiences they had been through.
It’s good to talk. When we share our experiences in group discussions, we realise we are not alone. We feel united. There is hope. We realise that lives and houses can, and will, be rebuilt. We wanted the children to know they would be supported and life would eventually get back to normal.
We played games, drew pictures, read stories, painted faces, made finger puppets and ate refreshments. Maythaa al Mandhary, leader of the Let’s Read Team, told the children a story with the use of colourful visual aids. Then, three Omani guys arrived and told stories with the use of almost life-sized puppets. It was wonderful to hear the children laughing, to see them having fun and playing together. Two days later, a group of Let’s Read volunteers joined a Dar Al Atta’a Team on a similar mission.
This time, the team played with children at a housing complex in Al Suwaiq. The cyclone had done a lot of damage to the houses and there was still no electricity. The Dar Al Atta’a team cleaned twenty houses.
The conditions were a little more taxing this time as there was no electricity and all the activities took place outside.There is still much to be done before life can return to normal in this cyclone-stricken governorate of Oman.
But it is wonderful to see people coming together to help those in need. We would like to thank the following companies for providing supplies and entertainment: Al Diwaniya Omani Sweets, Mursid Magazine, Masar Learn, Al Bitrik BookShop, Popular Theatre Group and Wander Graphics. And to the anonymous donors who provided clothes, shoes, toys and refreshments.
