Most of the stunning photos we’ve been able to share with you from American Samoa are the work of Talia Frenkel. Talia is a professional photographer we sent to American Samoa to chronicle the hard work by our workers on the ground. Thanks to her, we have a unique window into the stories of tragedy and hope in the wake of disaster.

Recently, Talia visited the “Safe Space”, a play area established in the convention center in Pago Pago, and saw first-hand the amazing resilience of the American Samoan children. According to her, the children had an ability to face their experiences and talk about what had happened to their homes with openness and clarity. They also supported each other; together with the Red Cross volunteers, they made the “Safe Space” a place for laughter and companionship.

Below is a slideshow of photographs Talia captured. American Red Cross volunteers (including young Americorps National Civilian Community Corps team leaders) played games, drew pictures, and sung songs with the children.

You can read more about the “Safe Space” and the broader effort to focus on children on the official American Red Cross website.

Filed under: Disaster Response