NINE-YEAR-OLD Marie-Ange whose school was ravaged in the Haiti earthquake is now back in lessons thanks to

Citizen

readers.

She is one of the many victims whose lives are being pieced back to together following the disaster in the Caribbean country six months ago.

More than 200,000 people lost their lives in the quake which hit on January 12 and immediately, people across the world, responded to the cry for help. They were determined to offer support to the survivors who were living with no food, no shelter and no clean water.

The Citizen and Gloucestershire Echo were two of five regional papers who joined the call for help and readers from all the titles donated £70,000 for the fund with the total amount raised by Unicef UK hitting £7m.

Proud

David Bull, chief executive of Unicef UK, said: "Your readers can be proud in the knowledge that their generous donations enabled us to provide everything from toothbrushes to toilets to help millions of vulnerable people maintain dignity and health as they start the process of rebuilding their lives.

"We at Unicef UK are certainly proud of your readers' kind-heartedness, especially in the midst of a recession."

In Port-au-Prince, Marie-Ange was out of school for three months when the school building collapsed in the earthquake. She is now back in a temporary school – a tent– and dreaming of a future where she can be safe.

"I want to have my school back, but one that is safer and won't collapse if there is another earthquake," she said.

"Too many children died and children are not supposed to die."

Before the earthquake only 45 per cent of primary school-aged Haitian children went to school. Now, with help from Citizen readers, Unicef has given out 1,300 school tents, and has another 2,000 in the pipeline.

Money is also being used to provide safe water to 333,000 people, and runs 107 tents to advise parents on infant and young child feeding, and providing formula for those who cannot breast feed.

Camille Stephenea, who was widowed in the earthquake, is accessing a Unicef-supported 'baby-friendly tent' in a camp near the airport in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.

She said: "When I came to the baby tent, I loved it. They give me a lot of good advice and they help me with the baby."

Sanitation is also being address by Unicef with 9,000 toilets installed since January. More than 2,000 people have been trained in sanitation and now visit affected areas to teach proper hygiene practices.

But Unicef also said that work is not yet over, and the emergency phase will continue for another 18 months.

It also believes that it will take up to six years to clear away the rubble.

The charity worldwide has raised £161m, but is still £71m short of its original call for worldwide call for £232m.

■ To donate to Haiti's emergency appeal call 0800 316 5353 or visit www.unicef. org.uk/haitireg1