Back to School for Children Left Homeless by Earthquake

The Toronto Star
April 16, 2009

Today, some of the youngest victims of Italy's recent earthquake went back to school, in small tent cities, symbolizing a return to normalcy. Schools reopened in Poggio Picenza today, a few kilometers from the hardest-hit city of L'Aquila. Today marks the official restart of school after the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that killed 294 people and destroyed the city on April 6,2009. Many of the children were happy to go back to school as they had missed their peers and teachers. Many had feared for their loved ones' safety. Middle school teacher Liberata Marchi spoke to the media, stressing the need for classes to continue, saying that allowing the children to be together and return to normalcy is vital to their recovery from this ordeal. Education Minister Mariastella Gelmini also spoke to the media, saying that the school opening was a "small but important sign that normalcy was returning" and that it would take the children's mind off of the true horror that the city is experiencing. The mayor of Poggio Picenza, Nicola Menna, is also residing in a tent right now, and reported that two of the village's students were not at the school reopening that day. They were among five Poggio Picenza citizens killed in the troubling quake. Many residents left to stay with family or in hotels on the coast, troubled by the dire situation. Of the 55,000 people displaced by the quake, approximately 33,000 are living in tent cities in and around the 26 towns and village affected by the earthquake. Approximately 22,000 people won't be able to return to their damaged homes because of the severity of the damage. Speaking on RAI state television, Menna said the remainder are believed to be living in tents or hotels because they are afraid of returning home while aftershocks continue, even though their homes are habitable. Italy's interior minister estimated that rebuilding the damaged city will cost at least 12 billion euros (about $16 billion U.S.).

In my opinion, this incident is a tragic reflection on the sad reality of the situation in Poggio Picenza, Italy. I believe that this situation shows us how the earthquake has affected each and every citizen in this small area of Italy and how courageous school administrators and students have risen above the tragedy in returning to school in tent classrooms. The children of the community are going through a very difficult time in that they do not fully understand the situation due to their young age, and should not have to face such hardships and tragedy in their young lives. In my opinion, it is vital for the children to be able to go back to school. This step was imperative for the return to normalcy of this city. In the words of Middle school teacher Liberata Marchi, "Being together, playing with other children, letting them have fun, this is important". (http://www.newstin.com/rel/us/en-010-013147558) It will take many months for the city to truly return to normal, but I believe that this was the first step in recovering from this devastating event. On a greater scale, this story represents the power that play and laughter have in healing one's wounds. Play therapy has been used to treat traumatized children in our society and indeed throughout the world from warzones to hospital cancer wards. It is the power of playfullness and laughter that can truly heal the deepest wounds and bring back the inner child in each of us. There is, in fact, an international organization called Right to Play that provides children around the world, whether it be in warzones or refugee camps, with the equipment and programs to play and be children, regardless of the trauma they are experiencing. We must all recognize this group's efforts and the power that this admirable association has to change childrens' lives.