Tammana, age 7, lives with her sister, mother and aunts in a small house in a remote village in Buner, Pakistan. Her father works in Dubai, and is their family's sole source of income.

Although the military operation has now ended in Buner, the district was heavily affected by the conflict. The last few months have been very troubling for Tammana, who says she was scared when the planes flew overhead, and she never left her home.

In the Urdu language, "Tammana" means "wish" – this is an apt name for the young girl, who strongly wishes to return to school. Tammana was enrolled in 1st grade when the conflict started and can't wait to go back. "I love going to school and will run to school as soon as it opens," she says. Her favorite subject is English. For the past two weeks, one of Save the Children's mobile Child Friendly Spaces has been visiting Tammana's village in order to give children there a chance to gather together, draw and paint, play board games, and engage in sports like badminton, cricket, and soccer. Each time the mobile Child Friendly Space visits this village, more than one hundred children attend.

"I love going to school and will run to school as soon as it opens." — Tammana

In the last two weeks, Save the Children's eight mobile Child Friendly Spaces have reached more than 2,300 children in conflict-affected areas. Save the Children has also established 34 stationary Child Friendly Spaces in host communities and camps – these spaces have benefitted over 12,000 displaced children. Tammana says she enjoys coming to the Child Friendly Space. "I have made two new friends here, Sulmat and Hina, and I like putting puzzles together with them." Although she is still very young, Tammana states she knows what she wants to be when she grows up. "They don't have a doctor in our village, so I want to become a doctor," she says.

In response to the massive humanitarian crisis brought on by recent conflict, Save the Children has reached an estimated 274,000 people — including approximately 164,000 children — with emergency healthcare, relief goods, and child protection, education and food distribution programs. As children and families begin to return home, we will continue to help them access medical services, regain their livelihoods and reestablish their lives.

Donate to the Pakistani Children in Crisis Fund.

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Last Updated September 2009