CHENNAI: For an outsider, it would seem that Sothavalai Government Middle School in Kanyakumari district, nestled in sylvan settings, is ideal location for such an institution.

But for the students, pleasure comes from within the classroom, not the greenery outside. Sitting pretty inside the classrooms are polished waterproof tables, just like the ones they believe kids in cities have. The 252 tables and chairs the school acquired recently mean much to the students, so used to rubbing their fingers in the dust of the floor they sat on.

For these 300-odd children, as for over two lakh others in primary schools in Tamil Nadu, sitting on chairs with tables in front of them is a new high. When UNICEF decided to distribute furniture to schools, it would not have anticipated the tumultuous welcome these would receive from the children.

The furniture, however, is only part of the international aid organisation's efforts to assist in the post-tsunami recovery.

With over three quarters of those killed in the disaster being women and children, UNICEF, with a specific commitment towards children, found itself playing a key role in the rehabilitation.

Health and nutrition, water and sanitation, education and psychosocial support were the key areas of intervention. "Keeping children and women alive was the first priority in the collective emergency response," notes UNICEF's report on the tsunami recovery programme. Not a single child died as a result of diseases that could be prevented by vaccination or displacement, it says, terming it a creditable achievement.

Working with the Government, local partners and other U.N. organisations, UNICEF supported restoration of over 530 anganwadi centres or childcare centres destroyed or damaged in the tsunami. Many other anganwadis were equipped with basic supplies they previously lacked, according to the report.

Health care

Post-tsunami, it also introduced integrated management of neonatal and child illness programme, aimed at addressing the most common causes of death and illness in infants and children. And it strengthened participation by the local community.

Once communities moved into shelters, overcrowding in some places and unhygienic practices such as open defecation were proving to be a health hazard.

To prevent epidemics UNICEF, along with the community, took up construction of public conveniences. Link volunteers were chosen from within the community to spread awareness of hygienic practices and sustaining the infrastructure created. Water tanks were supplied to several temporary shelters.

Counselling

Establishing protection mechanism for the 480 children to prevent abuse and trafficking was also high on the agenda. Apart from training teachers and volunteers to provide counselling for post traumatic stress, through art, sport, puppet shows and theatre, UNICEF volunteers sought to create secure zones within the community where children could feel comfortable in.

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