[2006] Just after the earthquake, many heart breaking pictures and videos were seen on the media but the actual realization of this natural calamity strikes you once you come face to face with the destruction... I thank iEARN and the American Embassy for giving us the oppurtunity to get some time out of our busy lives and to go and see the situation for ourselves. I think Global Youth Service Day provides a strong platform on which the youth of today can come together and help the community in any way they think best...

Our main aim for this trip was to go and help the children in anyway possible. We had taken with us a cricket kit, a football and a gift for each child keeping in mind that these children would not be emotionally stable and we would have to work hard to make them laugh. We were going there to basically help them face and accept the reality of life; what so ever happens, life still goes on.

On our way we were able to see the remains of the earthquake. After every 2 to 3 km we would find 5 or 6 small graves belonging to children who passed. away in the earthquake. Some had names while others were nameless due to no relative left alive to tell who that poor child was. With this picture in mind we went to the camp's school but on reaching there, it was a totally different picture.  These children lived in a UNICEF organized camp under poor living conditions.... Even though they have face the worst circumstances in life, deprived of all the necessities - you have no one to blame. Even after all this, these children have the strength in them to face their past with the will and heart to move on with their lives. These children are made of iron steel...

Some remarks from these strong children made our trip worthwhile. [Such as], "When are you going to come next time?, Please do come again!, "When we go back to our home in Naran. You are very welcome to come and live at our place not to help us but to enjoy."  After these words nothing else remains for me to say other then that our journey from Lahore to Mansehra was nothing compared to their journey from earthquake victims to merry, free children.