A few notes on the "Bam Palm":

The earthquake of Dec. 26, 2003 in Bam deprived 6 to 7 thousand children from the benefit of parent support, besides leaving dead 30 thousand adults and children, and piles of destruction. These children were temporarily sheltered in the first few weeks after the earthquake, with the help of various organizations.

During the first year after the earthquake, these children found themselves in different conditions, which can be summarized in 3 categories:

1-Children supported by governmental organizations.

2-Children supported by financial and material resources of individuals.

3-Children who found shelter among their relatives, but the government did
not participate in providing with their financial needs.

After the first aids and the slow reconstruction efforts of the first few months, the long-term problems and needs of these children, as well as solutions to these problems, and efficient aid schemes to them were gradually revealed.

We, the members of "Bam Palm" have evaluated the conditions of these orphans after a few trips to the earthquake stricken regions and interactions with the local trustees. We have concluded that the third group of children has the most problematic conditions since they don't receive governmental support.

The United Nations Convention on the rights of children protects children's rights by setting standards in health care, security, and education.

We, who have been born and raised in this city, have created the "Nakhle Bam Society" in order to secure these rights for the orphans of Bam by providing and coordinating the long-term financial needs of a group of these children.

Based on our on-site calculations, the financial needs of a school child is about 50 to 70 Euros per month. For children under seven, this would amount to 25 to 35 Euros.