Date Added: 14-09-2005

Summer camp has meant a lot to children in areas of war-torn India.  Read the inspirational story below:

Navhind Times - Panjim,India

by Ashima Kaul

Rehana Akhtar, 14, has drawn a picture of a hospital. Sobbing, she says, “My mother and I have suffered a lot. She is struggling to survive and keep the family together.� Gathering all her courage, Rehana is `speaking out’, sharing the trauma of losing her father in cross-firing in 1993.Her story is neither new nor unique in the conflict-ridden state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Hundreds of children like her deal with hostility, violence and fear in their daily lives. The ‘big difference’, Rehana says, is that “I have had this opportunity to reach out, share my pain and feel consoled, while most children like me have none.�

She is one of the 55 children who attended a summer camp organised by a civil society group — Yakjah (which means together) Reconciliation and Development Network — at the picturesque tourist resort in Gulmarg. Yakjah works to create safe spaces for children for their free expression.

Read the entire article:

http://www.navhindtimes.com/stories.php?part=news&Story_ID=09143