News

Friday 24 February 2006

University backs charity's relief effort

More than 50 PCs have been donated by Nottingham Trent University to help set up new IT rooms in Pakistani schools affected by the country’s earthquake last year. They are being shipped over to Pakistan by the charity Al-Ain International Trust, of which University Senior Technical Support Analyst, Iftikhar Mehdi, is a founding member.

The machines, previously used in the University’s resource rooms, are being split between three schools in Batagram, Thandkoi and Tahlian Wala. The schools – for pupils aged five to 15 – were completely destroyed in the earthquake and are currently being rebuilt. Short-term buildings are being built in the meantime and this is where the new IT suites will be situated.

The charity collected the PCs from the University’s City campus and has taken them to Mansfield, where they are being loaded onto a 40ft shipping container along with other donated items including medical supplies, blankets and clothing.

Al-Ain International Trust has carried out a lot of relief work in Pakistan since the October earthquake, which was responsible for decimating a great deal of the country’s infrastructure.

Iftikhar Mehdi said: “It’s fantastic that the university has been able to make this generous donation. The pupils, whose lives have been badly affected by the earthquake, will benefit so much from this equipment – I plan to travel out to Pakistan myself soon to see how things are progressing and to try to help improve the children’s knowledge of IT.”

Al-ain International Trust’s Chairman, Taleh Mehdi, said: “About 60% of the schools in the earthquake affected areas were destroyed, including a great deal of IT facilities. We are so grateful to Nottingham Trent University for this donation.”

ENDS

Notes for editors: Al-ain International Trust is a Nottingham-based charity whose aim is to provide new health and education facilities for underprivileged citizens in underdeveloped countries. It was established in 2003 with the primary objective of providing free eye care to those who could not afford it.

For more information please contact:

Dave Rogers, Press Officer, on Telelphone: +44 (0)115 848 2650 or via email: dave.rogers@ntu.ac.uk.

Or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on Telephone: +44 (0)115 848 6589 or via email: therese.easom@ntu.ac.uk.