Greshk children schooled on landmine dangers

Greshk, June 6, 2007 (Pajhwok Afghan News): ISAF and Afghan National Security Force engineers hosted a land-mine awareness day to provide potential life-saving education for children on the dangers of land mines and other explosive device.

We hope to save thousands of young lives ended needlessly by making the children aware how dangerous mines are, said Capt. Anna Swan, ISAF engineer, who arranged the event.

Sponsored by Sayed Darani Shah, Greshk mayor, and the commanding officer of the 1st Kandak Sher Khan, more than 250 local children and their families attended the first event of this kind in Helmand province.

Seventy varieties of mines still scar the earth. Over an average month up to 100 Afghans are injured or killed from mines, and most of those are women and children, Swan said.

After training by ISAF engineers, Afghan soldiers showed the children the types of mines littering the country, and how to mark and report them.

Following the success of this event, the director of education in Lashkargah has given permission to conduct similar events in schools throughout Helmand before the three-month-long vacation, Shah said.