Every time ten-year-old Meeshma hears a sound from the sea, she runs to the shore. She expects to see her father’s boat. Marshel, would go fishing for weeks together.

When a disaster strikes, children are usually the worst affected. The children on the coast of Tamil Nadu are no exception. Ockhi has exacted a heavy emotional toll. Many of them don’t want to see the sea again. Others have nightmares at night. Yet others repeatedly tell their mothers every day,”Let’s move away from here!”

Meeshma’s family was the first family we met. Her father Marshell went fishing with ten other men, only two survived on their boat, but he never returned. Marshell’s wife, Shanthi, and their three daughters, and one son, have been waiting for him to return ever since. Meeshma is in VIIth grade, Marshi is in IVthgrade, Shagini is in IIIth  and Shanthini is one year and 2 months. Marshell’s daughters have not been regular to school and his wife is worried about the fate of her children and herself. Though we empathised with them we encouraged her to keep her children at school to hold on to hope.