Pakistani children donate 100,000 rupees to Afghan child mine victims

Islamabad (United Nations Information Centre for Pakistan/Office of the United Nations Co-ordinator for Afghanistan/), 26 April 2001-- Today thirty students and teachers of La Salle High School in Faisalabad Pakistan came to the United Nations Information Centre in Pakistan bearing banners that read: STOP PRODUCING LANDMINES. The students had travelled over five hours by bus to reach Islamabad. Along with a number of other educational institutions in Pakistan, La Salle High School has been engaged in building awareness about peace and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
Every year, students in the school adopt a project to help humanity. For the last one year, students of the school have been collecting money for humanitarian causes. Earlier this year, the children raised Rs. 50,000 ($800) for drought victims in Baluchistan. Today, they presented a check for Rs. 100,000 ($1,600) to be channelled through the Comprehensive Disabled Afghans Programme (CDAP/UNOPS/UNDP) which will provide funds to pay for artificial limbs for children injured by landmines in Afghanistan.

In his address to the gathering, the Reverend Brother Christie Dorus, Principal of La Salle High School, expressed the school's commitment to the cause of peace and pledged continued and unconditional support to the United Nations' global efforts for peace. He also saluted UN officials, and other workers, who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of peace for their fellow human beings. "Pakistani children are generous, and are willing to give to others. We are proud of our school, our children and our people," Brother Christie said.

In accepting the contribution on behalf of CDAP, Dan Kelly, Manager of the Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan, highlighted the serious mine and unexploded ordnance problem affecting Afghans. He noted that the generous contribution would be used in some of CDAP's twelve orthopaedic workshops in Afghanistan and would provide at least 56 child mine victims with artificial limbs. He also welcomed the children's awareness raising on landmine issues and thanked them for "their compassion, generosity and kindness" on behalf of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, the Pakistan Campaign to Ban Landmines, and the Afghan Campaign to Ban Landmines.

After presenting the check, the children presented a folder containing the names of 76 school staff and 1,497 students from nursery level up through tenth grade who were involved in the project.

For more information, please contact:

Eric Falt, Director, United Nations Information Centre 92 51 2270610; 92 51 2821012; 92 300 8540058

Stephanie Bunker, Public Information Officer and Spokesperson, Office of the United Nations Co-ordinator for Afghanistan, 92 51 2211451 x415; mobile 92 320 261325