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| January 18, 2006 | Wednesday | Zilhaj 17, 1426 |
Bush visits Islamabad tent village
ISLAMABAD, Jan 17: Former US president and UN special envoy George H.W. Bush visited the earthquake-affected children in a government-run school at a tented village here on Tuesday. As many as 2,000 students attend classes 1-10 in the public school established in the H-11 camp.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supports the school by providing salaries for 30 teachers as well as educational material.
During the visit, Mr Bush presented Unicef classroom kits comprising items like stationery, posters and books to the students. He asked the children about their hopes for the future.
A six-year-old boy said: “I want to go back to my home as soon as it is rebuilt.”
The UN special envoy also visited a classroom where a lecture was being delivered on the life of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Mr Bush asked the students to reflect on what they had learned.
One student commented that he would try to calm himself down as he felt himself getting angry and this would help him become more tolerant. The president nodded in agreement.
After the school session, a visit with a family to their tent provided Mr Bush with an opportunity to see the living conditions in the camp first-hand. During a conversation with the male head of the household, he learned that the man was injured during the earthquake and had received health care near his village before being relocated to the camp. Although the man has not fully recovered, he is ready to get back to work.
Speaking about the visit, Mr Bush said “It was very emotional.” He explained that seeing children crouched around a fire reminded him of how lucky his family was to have a comfortable home. Expressing appreciation for the support from local communities, military and the international community, he said, “We should all support these kids so they can have a better future.”
US Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker said, “The US government is committed to providing educational support to the affected communities when they return to their villages.
“To date, the US government has pledged $510 million for the relief and reconstruction work and has already spent $65.5 million on shelter, food, medical services and education supplies,” he added.—Online
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