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Dadar, NWFP, April 7, 2007 – U.S. Congresswoman Nita Lowey talks to a student at the reopening ceremony of Government Girls’ Middle School Dadar reconstructed by USAID in the earthquake-ravaged Mansehra district on Saturday.
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Dadar – U.S. Congresswoman Nita Lowey today reopened the Government Girls’ Middle School Dadar, which was destroyed by the October 8, 2005 earthquake and was rebuilt by USAID.
“This school exemplifies the partnership between the United States and the people of Pakistan and their shared commitment to ‘build back better’ in the earthquake-affected areas,” Representative Lowey remarked at the dedication ceremony.
Led by Rep. Lowey, seven members of the U.S. House of Representatives attended the dedication, along with John Gastright, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Central and Asian Affairs; Gen. Nadeem, ERRA Deputy Chairman; and other district officials.
“It’s truly a privilege to be able to help people like all of you who have done so much to help yourselves; I salute your determination,” noted Rep. Lowey. The plaque unveiled on the occasion read: “The original building was destroyed during the massive earthquake of October 8, 2005. Reconstruction was carried out with the help of the American people in friendship and the belief that the girls educated here will contribute to the stability and prosperity of their families, communities and nation.”
USAID’s four-year, $200 million reconstruction program is rebuilding destroyed schools and clinics, rehabilitating livelihoods, and improving education and health care delivery in earthquake-affected areas of districts Bagh and Mansehra and in Azad-Jammu.
Rep. Lowey commended General Nadeem for his “inspired leadership of ERRA” and said that by all accounts ERRA and its partners “are achieving one of the most successful recoveries from a disaster ever seen.”
During the first year of the reconstruction program, USAID plans to begin rebuilding 50 schools and 15 healthcare facilities, including the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Bagh.
All buildings will be constructed to meet internationally recognized earthquake-resistant building standards and will provide access for the handicapped.
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