AQEEL CAN READ

“I opened my eyes in an ultra-poor family who are unable to afford my expenses of treatment, medicine and education. Whenever I asked them to send me to school they answered that we can’t afford to send you to school and you also have a weak eye sight” says Aqeel Ashraf, a student of Drop-In-Center Kasur, Pakistan.

 Aqeel lives with his five siblings and parents in a small, one room house, in miserable conditions in Karma Abad colony of district Kasur. He could not attend school because of poverty and his week eye-sight.

While visiting with working children, the project team found Aqeel at home where he was fetching lunch for his Dad. Aqeel works in a small shoe making factory with his father. The Project team spoke to his mother about the need of good health and education for Aqeel. She replied that Aqeel can’t read and write properly, and "also he is not normal as other children are as he cannot see in sunshine". She said that her husband will decide about Aqeel’s education and health.

Aqeel shuts his eyes in sun light but in darkness/shadow he can see well. Aqeel has three brothers and two sisters. All his siblings are doing labour work. His elder brother Adeel and younger brother Shakeel are also employed in the shoe factory; while his mother and two sisters do embroidery work.

After a number of visits with the parents, Aqeel visited the DIC in November 2011 and registered in Level 1. His father initially showed reluctance to send him to the DIC. When Aqeel came to DIC, he was not able to read and write. The project team met Aqeel’s father who shared that Aqeel’s eye sight is weak and the doctor had advised on glasses. The team suggested another eye sight check-up. His father, Muhammad Ashraf, shoe maker by profession, initially had reservations, but sent his son.

Aqeel was promoted to Level 2, he can now read and write, and acknowledges the Project teams efforts that brought a positive change in his life. The DIC teachers have taught him according to his ability and the psychologist gave psychosocial support to improve his personality. His father also acknowledges that Aqeel can read and write and wants him to continue his studies. He promised to have another eye sight check-up of Aqeel. His father also wishes to go to Karachi for proper treatment of his son but needs financial assistance.

“I did not realize the importance of education which is the fundamental right of every child” he says.

Aqeel’s parents are now motivated and want him to continue his education and enjoy good health. Aqeel has been identified for mainstreaming into the government school at the end of March, 2012. The Project team has held meetings and given awareness to the Principal and teachers of Government School’s about the importance of education for all children (boys and girls) so that they have the opportunity of a bright future.

In the DIC children learn about their rights and responsibilities and are taught personal hygiene and other health, environment issues. Children who have attended the DIC know their rights and speak on them and their responsibilities with their families and friends.

Aqeel is happy that he got an opportunity to study like his friends and now he is going to join a Government school for formal education. His father has said that very soon he will go to hospital for his proper checkup of eye sight.

(Story: Saif Ullah Khalid, GTO, Kasur, Pakistan)

GIVE HOPE TO CHILD SOLDIERS

A Congolese Soldier (not Emmanuel)

My name is Emmanuel Jal - Musician, Activist, and former Child Soldier from South Sudan. A WAR CHILD.

I was born into the war in Sudan. At the age of five, my aunt was raped in front of me, and a man was killed in front of my mother and I. By the time I was eight, I was put into battle carrying an AK-47 rifle.

As a child I used to wonder: how could they get these weapons so easily? It’s the poorly regulated arms trade that allows weapons to be shipped between countries with little thought about whose hands the weapons end up in.

I am working with Amnesty International for strong regulations on the weapons trade that can help stop the horrors I experienced happening again.

After years of my country suffering, the world's governments are finally drafting an Arms Trade Treaty to stop dictators and thugs from buying weapons. They’re meeting at the United Nations in New York to negotiate the treaty. This is our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make sure we get a treaty that protects lives, and Amnesty will be there to deliver your signature with millions more from around the world. Will you be part of it? Click here to join me in calling for a strong Arms Trade Treaty.

There’s no easy answer to stopping the horrors that war lords have been committing for centuries. But if we can keep weapons the away from them, we have a better chance of protecting millions of lives and giving a new chance to tens of thousands of child soldiers.

When I was a child soldier, I was seen as expendable. At one point, I almost lost my mind. I thought "Do we deserve this? Where are my family members? Why are we suffering like this?" There was no school. How can you go to school when you’re running from one place to another, when there’s always war, fear and people losing their lives?

Even today, the war continues. In the last two weeks, communities in my home country, South Sudan, are fleeing bombs dropped on their homes - yet rich governments continue to ship weapons there. Please join in this campaign and help make sure our voices are not ignored.

I am now 32 years old, living in London and working as a hip-hop musician. Music is a therapy for me that gives me back the childhood that was stolen from me.

For the other children who are going through what I had to experience, I hope you can join me to be part of this.

Emmanuel Jal
for Amnesty International

AID: A PROMISE BROKEN

Last night's 2012/13 budget represents a core promise broken by the Gillard Government. It will affect the lives of millions of men, women and children who depend on Australian aid.

The Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), the peak body for aid charities, is extremely disappointed that the Government has abandoned its commitment to lift foreign aid to 50 cents in every $100 of Australia’s national income by 2015.

“Pushing this commitment back to 2016-17 is not good enough,” said Marc Purcell, ACFID Executive Director.

“Australia alone cannot fling aside the international goal to halve poverty by 2015, agreed by over 180 nations.”

“John Howard made this commitment in our name 12 years ago and tonight Julia Gillard had promised to deliver,” he said.

“Mr Howard committed Australia to help halve global poverty in the year 2000. Years of bipartisan effort and bipartisan promises have been put into this commitment. An independent review has been held and a roadmap released to achieve it by 2015.”

“Just last year, the Prime Minister restated her commitment to doubling Australia’s aid by 2015 in the Government’s own leaflet for developing countries. The catch-cry of the leaflet was: Australia: We Do What We Say.”

“But tonight, the Government has choked at the crucial moment. Instead of doing it’s part as promised in this global effort they have put their commitment off until 2016-17 to make a budget saving.”

“This puts the Government’s plan to reach 0.5 per cent of national income towards aid not only beyond the next election, but the one after that.”

“Tonight we could have saved an extra 800,000 lives,” said Mr Purcell. “We are calling on the Coalition to now keep their promise to save those lives by 2015.”

“Mr Swan said today that this Budget would look after the most vulnerable and uphold the ‘fair go’.”

“But what about a fair go for the 15 mothers who will die or suffer permanent disability today alone during childbirth in PNG?”

“The Treasurer said yesterday that Australia ‘walks tall in the global economy’ and ‘we in Australia have done so much better than many other countries around the world,” said Mr Purcell. “Yet, we rank below average out of the 23 wealthy nations who give aid. That isn’t walking tall.”

“Tonight’s budget is so disappointing not only because the Government has broken a promise, but because this decision will deeply affect the lives of the poorest people in our region and beyond,” Mr Purcell concluded.