Background information

During the coordination meetings between international NGOs active in Bam, the UN coordination office and the local authorities and NGOs, Bam Education Office have reported the student mortality rate, being as following: pre-school – 232 students (girls and boys), elementary school - 3.216, junior high - 2.350, high school - 2.427, pre-college – 368, meaning a total of 8.593 students dead in Bam and

suburbs. On the other hand, there was reported a number of 3.685 children who lost both their parents, from which 2.225 minors.

Another loss which again affected the children of Bam is the number of the teachers who died during the disaster: 140 kinder garden teachers, 200 primary school teachers, 302 high school teachers, these figures not including the education personnel in the rural area.

In the borders of Bam, IBC will create the conditions for the alleviation of children's suffering, for recover and reduce the damages caused by the trauma. Therefore, in 5 Turkish containers camps situated in Bam, IBC will run 9 Children's Social Centers, to be attended by approximate 2.000 children. Besides of Iranian teachers and animators, in the Children's Social Centers will also work psychologists which

will have the mission of identifying and deal with the problems of the children, design and implement psycho social intervention programs.

IBC & Mercy Malaysia joint action for the children of Bam

On 4 th of March 2004, IBC organized a clowning representation for the children in 2 of the Turkish container camps it is committed in ( Qom 1 and Belediye / Shehrdari – both in zone 10 of the city), together with Mercy Malaysia Bam field team. The name of the activity was “IBC – Turkey and Mercy Malaysia 's Happy Times with Uncle Button”, under the motto “Laughings across borders”.

The Malaysian clown Uncle Button was welcomed with a very loud happiness and curiosity by both the children and the elders of the two camps. Magician, prestidigitator and a fine specialist in children psychology and “crisis clowning”, Uncle Button had an interactive representation, delighting the audience with his surprises taken out from “the magic box”. He did “ballooning” – making different shapes from balloons and he handed it over to the children. During his interactive performance, he sent to the children of Bam encouragement messages for recovery, strength, self esteem, for passing over the difficult moments caused by the earthquake and solidarity of all the other children in the world. Also, IBC and Mercy Malaysia distributed after the “clown program” balloons and cakes for all the children present at the event.

This activity held in the 2 named camps, took place in front of the containers to be used by IBC as Children's Social Centers, so the event represented, in the same time, an informal introduction of the children to the location they will activate in the very near future.