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94-year-old donates DKK 1 million to earthquake victims

02.12.2005: After several sleepless nights with his mind on the many earthquake victims in Pakistan, a 94-year-old man in Denmark decided to take matters into his own hands: He remortgaged his house and donated DKK 1 million (approx. USD 157,015) to DanchurchAid for the thousands of people in Pakistan whose homes and livelihoods have been devastated by the earthquake.

Scenes from a tent city outside Balakot sponsored by Church World Service/Action by Churches Together, Pakistan 2005
© Paul Jeffrey

Images of earthquake victims in Pakistan troubled the 95-year-old senior citizen from Copenhagen for many nights:

“Here I was – under my duvet, nice and warm, while they were out there freezing – some of them even freezing to death. It was unbearable to think of”, tells the 94 year-old man, who would like to remain anonymous.

After three sleepless nights, the man decided to remortgage his house, and has now donated DKK 1 million to DanChurchAid for the thousands of people in Pakistan whose homes and livelihoods have been devastated by the earthquake.

“It touches me deeply that people still think and act like this kind man. Showing DanChurchAid such trust warmed the cockles of my heart”, says General Secretary Henrik Stubkjær. He guarantees that the money will be shipped off immediately and will be put to use where it is most needed.

“Money is desperately needed! Two months after the earthquake and we are still in what we call the phase of catastrophe – with the main concern of keeping people warm and dry. It is a race against time – preventing people from freezing to death”, states Henrik Stubkjær.

Distribution of the money

The money is distributed and allocated through DanChurchAid’s partner ACT International. ACT is providing emergency relief for quake affected comprising food packages, household utensils, blankets and shelter kits for approx. 20,000 people – for families in the most isolated areas of North West Frontier Province in Pakistan and the Pakistani part of Kashmir.

DanhurchAid in Pakistan

In November, Kamal Qureshi and Tanwir Ahmad from Copenhagen city council visited Pakistan along with DanChurchAid’s Emergency Coordinator Erik Johnson. Qureshi and Ahmad were the initiators behind a joint Danish/Pakistani collection. The purpose of the visit to Pakistan was to see how the money was spent. For more information, please visit www.kamal.dk (in Danish).

Based on an article by journalist Lisbeth Engbo published on www.noedhjaelp.dk, 2 December 2005. Translated and edited by Marianne Lemvig.