Escaping with grandma

Thirteen years old Tibetan girl Dawa is doing homework in the tent on an essay titled “My hometown”. She writes, “She is sacred with numerous holy mountains and waters; she is beautiful and harbors many pools with various colors and different sizes; she is wonderful, the fresh air brings happiness, health and warmth to people.” Yet, she seems to have not time to write about the trauma that her hometown experienced in the 7.0-magnitude earthquake.

Dawa’s family lives in a village that was hardest hit by the earthquake.  Her school is away from the village so she has just come back home recently during this summer break time.  Dawa has a 10-year old younger brother. Because their house is close to Jiuzhaigou scenic spot, Dawa’s family runs a hotel for a living. She happened to be in the hotel when the earthquake occurred.

“I just sat on the sofa understairs after a bath and a guest asked me the wifi password.” She recollected clearly what happened then, “When I read the third number of the wifi password, the shake started. All people in our alley ran out to the street. When I ran out I remembered that my grandma was still at home, she is 76 years old, I could not leave her and run away, so I went back to find her. My grandma could not walk fast, I wanted to carry her on my back, but that time there was just so many people that I was afraid of being pushed over by the crowd, therefore, I could only hold my grandma’s hand to walk.  When we walked out, the tiles on the roof kept flying and the walls of one hotel in the alley fell down……”

Dawa said that when the Wenchuan earthquake happened in 2008 they didn’t feel anything here and therefore this is the first time for her to experience such a powerful earthquake. “At that time I was totally stunned and had no idea that it was an earthquake. Until we ran out to the street and heard people’s talking that I knew it was an earthquake.” Fortunately, she and her grandma escaped safely, frightened grandma and granddaughter stood on the street with others together, all people stood there to watch the house shaking.

During the day it is very hot in the tent, Dawa and her younger brother both wear a mask and they have to take the mask off to have a deep breath from time to time. “My sister told me it is easy to breed bacteria after the earthquake and we should pay attention to protection”, said Dawa.

Like other tents at the temporary shelter, there are drinking water, instant noodles etc in the tent Dawa’s family staying in. She said they are not short of these and a brother from her relatives will pick up some living supplies from home between aftershocks from time to time. What she worried most are rains and mudslides, “Here is close to mountains and subject to mudslides if it rains, and I am very worried every day.”

With the help of Dawa, her 76 years old grandma escaped safely as well.

Dawa is doing her homework in the tent.

“My hometown”, an essay wrote by Dawa.

World Vision staff is presenting a child friendly kit to Dawa’s younger brother.

Dawa’s younger brother is sharing toys in the child friendly kit with his little friends.