French Government Donated 25,000 EUR for the Children

of Land-Mine Victims

Ivana Novakova

08 December 2003

Children and mines
The French Ambassador to Zagreb, Francois Bellanger and the De-mining Advisor to the Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dijana Plestina, signed the agreement for cooperation between the MINE AID NGO and the Republic of France. On the basis of that agreement, the French side donated 25,000 EUR to the Regional Centre for Psycho-Social Rehabilitation of the Victims of Land-Mines in Rovinj. The money will be used to finance the work of the Centre that should be opened in Spring 2004. Having in mind the fact that this is the first institution of its type in the world, the children of the victims of land-mines from Croatia, the region, but also the world, will receive treatment at the Centre.

This is not the first donation to the future Centre, and it is added to the total of over 700,000 EUR collected so far through grants and donations. The donors' list includes the Governments of Norway, Italy, Luxembourg and Japan, as well as numerous companies and institutions from Croatia and the world.

Countries like B&H, Albania, Nepal, Iraq and Colombia already expressed their interest for sending children to the Centre. The plans for the Centre are for it to be open throughout the year, and it will host about 40 participants per shift. The children in Rovinj will have a chance to use workshops, gatherings and relief techniques as means for their psychosocial rehabilitation. The French donation will be used to set-up a room adapted to children with special needs which will host 6 to 8 visitors of the Centre, said Ms. Plestina.

During the official signing, the French Ambassador expressed his pleasure at the fact that his country could participate in such a project. He emphasized that France has maintained good cooperation with the Croatian De-Mining Centre and it assisted the de-mining of the agricultural land in Slavonija.

http://www.oneworld.net/article/view/74698/1/