Origami paper cranes to mark Hiroshima Day in Delhi

Armed with origami paper cranes, a bunch of slum children from the city are telling the story of Sadako Sasaki, a 12-year-old girl who lost her life to radiation caused by the Nagasaki-Hiroshima bombing. A range of paintings made by the children on the terror unleashed by the 1945 atomic bombings will be displayed at the Japan Foundation on August 9 to mark the 71st anniversary of the attack on Japanese soil.

"Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl was diagnosed with leukemia following exposure to radiation caused by the nuclear bombings at Hiroshima. It was her wish to fold 1,000 paper cranes to avert her death. But she could only make 614 cranes and passed away at the age of 12. "Sadako has since become a symbol of peace.

We have trained hundreds of MCD school students in Najafgarh along with the NGO Apne Aap Women Worldwide in making origami (Japanese paper folding technique) paper cranes. The 1,000 cranes made by them will be put on display at the Japan Foundation in the run-up to the anniversary," says Aseem Asha Usman, founder of Aseem Asha Foundation. 

Aseem Asha, who has been working with the underprivileged children of Jamia Nagar area since the past eight years, says the initiative was aimed at drawing the world's attention to nuclear warfare and its perilous effects. "Students are the future assets of the nation. It is crucial for them to know about the world affairs from a young age. The Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombing is not just the story of Japan's destruction. It also showcases the resolve of a country that started from scratch and is one of the most developed nations of the world today," he says.