Hope Beyond Disaster: Self-Concepts of Children in the Aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda

Abstract

This study probed on the self-concept of children in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda which hit the provices of Leyte and Samar in the Philippines on November 2013, causing thousands of lives lost and properties damaged. The study included 41 children, aged 7 to 12, as participants, all are from Carigara, a municipality in Leyte that has been affected by Typhoon Yolanda. The children participated in an expressive art therapy activities aimed at helping them process the effects of Typhoon Yolanda. They were asked to do an art activity for the exploration of their self-concepts, followed by a focus group discussion (FGD) with 9 of the 41 participants to further probe on their self-concepts in the aftermath of disaster. Using the “Circles of Life” (Mga Bilog ng Buhay) framework, which integrates the four important aspects of well-being, namely: (1) Kalooban or inner self; (2) Kapwa or others; (3) Kakayahan or capacities; and (4) Kabuluhan or meaning-construction, participants were asked about their fears, self-descriptions, perceived srtengths and capacities, loved ones, and life goals. An analysis of the recurrent themes in their expressive art session and based on their responses in the FGD, the study reveals that children in Carigara were found to be relatively well-adapted. They also had positive disposition in life and relatively well-knitted social support systems that contributed to their coping and resilience after experiencing the disastrous effects of Typhoon Yolanda.