UNIFIL educates children about explosive dangers

By Mohammed Zaatari
The Daily Star
Bint Jbeil: Tuesday, 30 October 2007

BINT JBEIL: French and Belgian officers of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are teaching students in South Lebanon's public schools how to keep from becoming casualties of cluster bombs, mines and other forms of unexploded ordance. "Several public schools across the South have introduced new courses to their academic programs in an effort to make students and their parents aware of the dangers of cluster bombs, while teaching them how to avoid them," French officer Thomas de Jaule told The Daily Star on Monday.

"The courses also include lessons which focus on first-degree burns and ways to treat them," he added.

An estimated 1 million unexploded cluster bombs fired by Israeli forces during the summer 2006 war remain scattered across the villages of South Lebanon, regularly killing and wounding civilians.

The courses were introduced in cooperation with the Education Ministry and the schools' administrations, de Gaulle said.

"We kicked off our work 10 days ago," he said. "By the end of next week, we will have given our awareness courses to some 2,000 students and 200 teachers in 15 public schools."
De Gaulle added that he expects local private schools to ask the French and Belgian officers for similar assistance.

Belgian officer Joss Shooses was also satisfied with the results of UNIFIL's efforts.

"Our courses have achieved the desired goal," he said. "Students are teachings their parents and relatives the things they have learned at school."

Sariya Bazzi, director of Bint Jbeil's public schools, expressed her gratitude for the education campaign launched by the French and Belgian UNIFIL contingents.

"Students have interacted positively with the French and the Belgians, who have spread the culture of awareness among our students, and through them, among parents and families."