On April 16, 2016 a 7.8 Earthquake hit the coast of Ecuador. The large cities of the coast suffered extensive damage and the communities surrounding these cities even more. Many families were displaced, an estimated number of people in shelter camps is around 22,000 people. People living in these shelters have had their whole disrupted. Clara Luna hopes to lessen the burden of the children living in these shelters by providing kids programs and activities in the shelters.
During the earthquake, more than 22,000 people were displaced and are now living in shelters throughout the coast of Ecuador. They are expected to be living here for at least a year. Shelters that have only basic necessities. The lives on children living in these shelters has been dramatically disrupted and some left traumatized. The shelters need children activities and child friendly areas that lessen the burden of living in a shelter.
Once a month, the Clara Luna team travels to the affected areas. We have specific rapport with three sites in particular, Bahia de Caraquez, Canoa, and Tabuga. In the shelters, we provide childrens activites such as a theatre production, arts and crafts. Because these children will be living in these shelters for at least a year, we hope to make a kids corner in each of these shelters where children can come to play and read while we are not there and they can use while we are not there.
The effects of an earthquake on a children are traumatizing. By reaching at least 150 children with our activities and kids corners, we are able to lessen the burden of living in a shelter for more than a year. We hope to give them some good memories of living in the shelters rather than it only being a traumatizing experience.
