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YRDSB Principal Mr. Jeewan Chanicka and Community Resource Facilitator Ms. Yvonne Kelly present CMAT Executive Director Valerie Rzepka with a cheque from the "Helping Hands" fundraising campaign.

YRDSB Principal Mr. Jeewan Chanicka and Community Resource Facilitator Ms. Yvonne Kelly present CMAT Executive Director Valerie Rzepka with a cheque from the “Helping Hands” fundraising campaign.

February 28, 2014 – A social goal for York Region District School Board (YRDSB) is to encourage students to become active, global citizens and understand their roles as leaders in our global village.  Recorded history has not witnessed such catastrophic devastation as Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), which struck the Philippines in November 2013.  Active learning and focus on character traits such as empathy requires that students do their utmost to help.

Through its Helping Hands project, staff and students in the YRDSB have raised over $50,000 for CMAT’s project in the Philippines, to provide help for victims of the typhoon.  Students were encouraged to reach into their own pockets and to give generously. Loonie and Twoonie campaigns raised an average of $1400 per school in the school board.

All monies collected have been put towards CMAT’s relief projects in the Philippines.  CMAT has an established reputation and funds raised go directly into the field.

Today, CMAT Executive Director Valerie Rzepka accepted a cheque from YRDSB representatives Jeewan Chanicka and Yvonne Kelly. Congratulations go out to YRDSB on an incredible fundraising effort!!

On behalf of CMAT, and the beneficiaries of our care, we wish to express our sincerest thanks to the staff and students of York Region District School Board. Together, the students will become better aware of the magnitude of this tragedy and continue to learn their moral and social responsibility and making the utmost effort to make a difference.  With your continued support, CMAT can continue to extend a Helping Hand to those who are suffering immeasurable losses in the Philippines.

CMAT Director of Field Operations Tara Newell at the official opening of the new school.

CMAT Director of Field Operations Tara Newell at the official opening of the new school.

Saturday July 7, 2007 – CMAT published photos today of a school opening in a remote village outside of Muzzaffarabad, the epicenter of the devastating October, 2005 quake that killed over 90,000 persons. School construction for 150 children was completed in March, 2007 and included playground equipment. The structure was built to be earthquake resistant. Funds for the project were donated by Canadian clothier Stitches and constructed at a cost of $25,000 CAD.

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Kashmiri children sit in an outdoor classroom in the rubble of their former school. When weather is bad, the children don't attend school.

Kashmiri children sit in an outdoor classroom in the rubble of their former school. When weather is bad, the children don’t attend school.

April 4, 2006: Three new earthquake-resistant elementary schools will be built over the next three months in the devastated region of Azad Kashmir. The Canadian Medical Assistance Teams (CMAT) will contract local builders to facilitate the project, funded through private and public donations.

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Children use the rubble of their collapsed school to study on.

Children use the rubble of their collapsed school to study on.

Monday, December 5, 2005: CMAT is pleased to announce today that it has been given a $25,000 donation from YM Inc. to build a public school in a location to be determined. Further, a pledge was made to provide support to the school once it is built. This will help jumpstart the rebuilding phase of the CMAT relief project in Pakistan.