January 19, 2005
© Asiapromote Ventures Sdn. Bhd.
The Equestrian World Tsunami Fund (EWTF) has teamed up with UNICEF for recovery and rehabilitation projects to provide a future for the 50,000 or more children orphaned as a result of the major earthquake and tsunami that have killed hundreds of thousands.
“We are committed to long-term support and assistance for these children as their needs will be greater once emergency relief stops. It is important that their communities be reconstructed and that they have a secure and caring environment. We will be working with UNICEF.
“As UNICEF is the world’s leading children’s organisation with focused long-term programmes for the development of children and their well-being, we are happy to work with them to rebuild their world for these children, ensuring that they have a chance to grow into healthy and educated adults”, said Peter Imran Winton, Executive Director, Asiapromote Ventures, the main force behind this initiative.
Everything that is being done for the victims now, are all temporary measures to see them through in the interim. There are many good Samaritans who will help to rebuild the infrastructure but the existence of these children will remain a daunting adversity for the Indonesian government and the Acehinese community.
“As the devastation of the Aceh region is so severe and widespread, it is extremely difficult at this moment of time for UNICEF or any other organisations to even focus on the rebuilding of schools, orphanages, medical facilities or other infrastructure. There is so much to be done for the survivors,” said John Budd, UNICEF’s Press Officer in Indonesia.
Budd also said that UNICEF will help the EWTF at a later stage to identify projects to adopt.
“We want to continue our support for our projects for the long haul, rather than just raising money for now and then walk away. These children will need strong support and assistance for many years to come,” Winton added.
With the equestrian world rallying together in this worldwide initiative, it is a certainty that these orphaned children will have a brighter future.