The children of my country are especially concerned for the children of yours. Although you live half a world away, American children are learning about you in their schools and in their homes. President Bush asked the boys and girls of America to raise or earn a dollar and send it to help pay for food and medicine for the children of Afghanistan. And American children have responded eagerly, sending more than $4 million so far to help pay for food, shelter, clothing, health care and toys. And when the envelopes came in the mail, they contained more than money. They were filled with messages of hope from the children of America to the children of Afghanistan.
The children of my country are especially concerned for the children of yours. Although you live half a world away, American children are learning about you in their schools and in their homes. President Bush asked the boys and girls of America to raise or earn a dollar and send it to help pay for food and medicine for the children of Afghanistan. And American children have responded eagerly, sending more than $4 million so far to help pay for food, shelter, clothing, health care and toys. And when the envelopes came in the mail, they contained more than money. They were filled with messages of hope from the children of America to the children of Afghanistan.
A 10-year-old named Giovanni wrote, "I earned this dollar from my teacher by cleaning our class. I hope this will help the children and give them what they need to survive."
A little girl named Grace said, "I'm sending a dollar to help the innocent children of Afghanistan. I wish to help one that life of a child."
Another letter said, "Dear children of Afghanistan, we care about you. We want you to have food, clothes, water and medicines." Sincerely, Gary Coppernell, a U.S.A. kid.
Another child wrote, "I hope every dollar we sent will help the children of Afghanistan grow up to be healthy and live a good life."
These are the voices of America. All of us want all the citizens of Afghanistan to be healthy and to live a good life. We know that will require a great deal of work and we've only just begun. This morning, I met with a group of people who represent nongovernmental organizations working to improve lives in Afghanistan. More than 25 such organizations from America are already at work in your country; many others from around the world are joining them. These groups are helping to rebuild the education system, provide training to farmers, teachers and health care workers, and help start small businesses by paying for services that benefit the entire community.