Share this story!            

‘Seeds of Peace’ Lahore volunteers to help quake victims

By Ali Waqar

THE Lahore chapter of the Seeds of Peace (SoP), an international non-government organisation (NGO) working to promote peace through schoolchildren in conflict areas, sent a children’s team to help victims in the October 8th earthquake-affected areas. After knowing the situation about these areas, meetings were arranged and Seeds (SoP members) decided to collect money for the quake victims from their schools, neighbourhoods and families. Initially, Seeds decided to send relief trucks to the affected areas but the idea was vetoed because of two reasons; firstly, proper utilisation of this aid held no guarantee because most of the Seeds didn’t have the liberty to go to the affected areas themselves and secondly, the government was discouraging the flow of civilian trucks into the Northern Areas because it was getting dangerous and the Army itself had taken up the responsibility of rescue and relief operations, said a report prepared by SoP members Ayyaz Ahmad (2004 session) and Sara Pervaiz Amjad (2005 session).

So, a group of seeds from different sessions at the SoP Camp visited the Services Hospital in Lahore and donated medicines for the quake victims admitted there, said another Seed’s report. A group of nine Seeds, including the SoP regional coordinator, also went to the Pakistan Railway Hospital (Rawalpindi) for a day to help quake victims admitted there. The Seeds were briefed regarding the Post Traumatic Stress Relief on the way. They donated quilts, sweaters, milk packets and cartons of mineral water bottles to the hospital so that they could send them to affected areas with its team. They distributed cash, biscuits, board games, toys, juices and chips to the victims in the hospital. They asked about their heath, played board games with the juvenile victims.

The SoP also met quake victims admitted to the Jinnah Hospital (Lahore) and affected families, who were left homeless by the earthquake, living in the Social Welfare Home (SWH). They had decided to donate money to the homeless families but after talking to SWH officials, they learnt that the families were being given the basic necessities and were being taken care of. It was encouraging to see such an organisation working like that for the earthquake victims, said a Seed. The SoP decided not to donate any money there since the organisation seemed self-sufficient. They also went to the SOS Village to help quake victims. The SoP has decided to start a proper volunteering program at the SOS Village and donate money to fund a housing project for victims.



NGO Community Rehabilitation Foundation (CRF) has invited Muhammad Ahmed Mubasher, the youngest US-based Pakistani student, to Pakistan for special help and visit to the earthquake affected areas. Children from various schools and CRF representatives received Mubasher at the Allama Iqbal International (Lahore) last week. Mubasher is scheduled to help in collecting fund to set up a 300-bed hospital in the earthquake-hit area of Muzaffarabad. Mubasher is also scheduled to meet Punjab Governor Lt Gen (r) Khalid Maqbool and people from business community for fundraising.



GOVERNMENT College University (GCU) Lahore has won the ‘All Pakistan Inter-Collegiate Debates’ held at the Government Fatima Jinnah College for Girls. Fatima Batool (GCU) was declared the second and Bushra Saeed (GCU) was declared third best speaker of the competition. GCU was also awarded the team trophy. Moreover, the varsity also lifted the team trophy at the ‘All Pakistan Bilingual Declamation Contest’ 2005 held at FAST-NU. Sameer Ahmed was declared the best speaker in the English category.

GCU also won the team trophy by beating the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore at the ‘All Pakistan Annual Debating Championship’ held at the Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore, from November 11 to November 14.



SAFDAR Mir English Literary Circle of the GCU Lahore held a Charles Dickens’s poster exhibition at the Salam Hall last week in collaboration with the British Council. The exhibition was inaugurated by GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Aftab. More than fifty posters depicting various aspects of Charles Dickens life were on display in the exhibition. Director British Council Iftikhar Elahi was also present on occasion.

Punjab Governor Lt Gen (r) Khalid Maqbool awarded prizes to the participants of the International Kangaroo Mathematics Contest (IKMC) of Pakistan held at the Bokhari Auditorium of GCU.

Home | National

Share this story!