GEMS students' AED 75,000 donation builds first community school in quake-hit Pakistan village

Students from the two schools raised AED 75,000 to support rehabilitation efforts following the devastating October 2005 quake that left 73,000 dead, 128,000 injured, approximately 3.5 million homeless and hundreds of villages flattened.

The donation, channelled through the Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN) of Pakistan, went towards the reconstruction of a village school in Sumbol, Balakot, one of the worst-hit areas. Prior to the earthquake, Sumbol's school had existed for only one year in a single room in a village home.

Following an additional donation of land and 45 days of volunteer work from villagers, the new Community Based School (CBS) Sumbol opened its doors to the 21 girls and 14 boys two months ago, on August 15, 2006. The new CBS Sumbol features two classrooms, washroom, a playground, a health unit and an adult literacy centre, and utilises a special lightweight design to provide maximum safety in the event of future quakes.

Amina Khan, a teacher at the Jumeirah Primary School and driver of the fundraising effort, attended the CBS Sumbol opening.

'The entire village community expressed deep gratitude for the support extended by Jumeirah Primary School and the Royal School,' said Khan, a native of the North West Frontier Province. 'Our JPS Earthquake Relief Fund has made it possible for this village, and these children, to rebuild their lives and aim even higher than they did before. This has only been made possible by the generosity of our students, parents, and the schools community.'

JPS Principal Mel Curtis said the fundraising and construction reflects GEMS' focus on world citizenship values. The school and RSPN jointly decided to use the money raised by children to rehabilitate children's education in the affected areas.

'Caring for others and for the world around us is one of the most important values we teach at GEMS, and it gives us great pride to know that the fruits of our students' efforts will last for years to come,' Curtis said.

With winter coming, the remaining money in the fund will be used to provide safe, cost-effective heating for the classrooms and later for continuing enhancements of the CBS Sumbol, Khan added.