After Tai Po fire, children make slow but steady recovery through play therapy
Almost a year after a catastrophic fire tore through Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court, 11-year-old Jackey* still remembers the home he lost. “I sometimes think of Wang Fuk Court and the things I left behind there,” the Primary Six pupil said. “I wanted to go back and get them, including the gifts my mum gave me.” Now living with his parents in a transitional housing flat, Jackey turns to the two…
Almost a year after a devastating fire ravaged Hong Kong's Wang Fuk Court, 11-year-old Jackey still remembers his lost home and the possessions he left behind. The Primary Six student now lives with his parents in a transitional housing flat, turning to homemade calm-down bottles filled with glitter to help him manage distress. The fire, which occurred on November 26 last year, claimed 168 lives, including a firefighter, and displaced nearly 5,000 residents.
Despite the trauma, affected residents, including children, are slowly recovering and rebuilding their lives. The school principal, Siu Ting, reported progress in recovery efforts, with families participating in school activities. Jackey participated in trauma intervention therapies provided by Save the Children Hong Kong, which included play therapy and expressive arts therapy for 153 affected children across seven Tai Po schools and a transitional housing project.
The therapies aim to express feelings, relieve anxiety, and rebuild a sense of security. Researchers found that children who received these therapies showed significant reductions in anxiety levels and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Save the Children Hong Kong emphasized the need for continued support, policy changes, and community recovery systems to aid children's emotional well-being as they continue to heal from the fire's impact.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
