Syawal Was Very Scared

Five years ago, Banda Aceh, Sumatra was devastated by a tsunami. Almost 230,000 people perished, including the mother and sisters of the now 12-year-old Syawal. He survived the catastrophe, as did his father, but he will never forget the awful disaster: "I still think about it. Every single day." His ravaged surroundings won't be forgetting about it anytime soon, either. Syawal feels that he has changed -- he has become quieter: "Only when I'm playing with my friends do I forget for a while and feel happy." At home, beside the photo of his mother and the older of the two sisters, he draws pictures of his experiences during the disaster. While Syawal tells us about his trauma, his drawings become animated to give his very own take on what happened: how the water suddenly rose; the wave that was "as high as a palm tree"; how he got swept away from his family; how scared he was; the color of the water. While he was struggling to survive, Syawal had only one thought: "I was so worried I'd never see my parents again." He is still very scared of losing his father, whom he looks up to. Luckily, Syawal has come up with a very special solution to his problems.