Press Release: Sunday, 20 November, 2005 (7th Maghar Samvat 537)

UNITED SIKHS Brings Smiles to Quake Childrens' Faces

UNITED SIKHS Base Camp: Garhi Habib Ullah, Pakistan
Camp Coordinator: Gurvinder Singh

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UNITED SIKHS volunteer Shafi Hussain putting a smile on the face of a child at the Islamabad hospital.

Islamabad, Pakistan: UNITED SIKHS volunteers yesterday provided trauma relief and a welcome break from pain and loneliness to children who are being treated for injuries, after the Asian earthquake left many of them orphaned. Volunteers also continue to prepare trucks of food supplies, which they will deliver to the totally devastated area of Bagh and Garhi Habib Ullah.

Volunteers distributed toy cars, sports gear, building blocks and dolls to over eighty-five delighted children at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, where many are still in shock because of the recent events.

UNITED SIKHS volunteer Shafi Hussain stated, "Its amazing what you can do and the impact one can make with essentially little effort. One parent told me that you have given me 2 hours of peace by bringing my child this toy to alleviate the pain from his mind."

The children had come from Pakistan's badly hit regions of Muzaffarabad, Rawalkot and Azad Kashmir, in the hope of getting treatment for potentially life-threatening injuries. Irshad Choudary, the Assistant Sub-Inspector of Security for the hospital said, "We can not thank UNITED SIKHS enough for coming from so far to take an active part in cheering up the children so adversely affected by the quake".

At Islamabad, urgently needed supplies were also being loaded into trucks headed for Bagh and Garhi Habib Ullah. The supplies included lentils, kidney beans and rice, which will be used to provide hot and nutritious meals for survivors in the region. Hot food continues to be a vital necessity, especially as the weather continues to worsen.

Gurvinder Singh, UNITED SIKHS GHANAIA team leader in Pakistan, said, "We continue to listen to the survivors of the earthquake, to ensure that we meet their needs. Relief operations are running as smoothly as they can under the circumstances. We are quickly and efficiently buying good quality supplies at the lowest rates we can obtain. These are then being speedily distributed to the needy areas in which UNITED SIKHS is working."

To read a previous Press Release on the Asian Quake Relief work please see www.unitedsikhs.org/PressReleases/PRSRLS-15-11-2005-00.htm

Issued by:
Meerat Kaur
Director
UNITED SIKHS
Tel: 1-888-243-1690

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To transform underprivileged and minority communities and individuals into informed and vibrant members of society through civic, educational and personal development programs, by fostering active participation in social and economic activity.

UNITED SIKHS is also an avenue for networking between like-minded organisations to establish and nurture meaningful projects and dialogues - whether social, cultural or political- to promote harmony, understanding and reciprocity in our villages, towns and cities.

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