campus: Students to raise funds for quake victims
Lien Yeung, Associate News Editor
In response to the recent earthquake in Pakistan, several Simon Fraser University students and clubs have taken it upon themselves to contribute to the immediate relief efforts. Individual students and Muslim Students Association, as well as the Red Cross SFU, have been some of the first groups on campus to jump on board to help the victims of the earthquake.
Waseem Javed, one of the main organisers of a fundraiser dinner to be held in the Maggie Benston Atrium Cafeteria on October 19, voiced concern for the victims of the earthquake especially because of its personal impact.
"For me personally, this has hit extremely close to home, as I am from the Northwest Frontier Province in Pakistan, and I have seen first-hand the poverty-struck lives that people live there. To see these very same people live through such a disaster is truly heartbreaking," said Javed.
The dinner is relying on the generosity of anonymous student and community food donations. The several independent student organisers are hoping that they will at least be doing their part to relieve some of the suffering in regions of Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan.
"We feel that help is needed, and it is needed immediately, so we have rushed ourselves to organise the event in less than two weeks. The event is open to everyone. All proceeds will be sent to the disaster-struck regions immediately," Javed said.
While individual students are the ones hosting the events, Amany Al-Sayyed, a volunteer for the fundraiser dinner and a member of the MSA, emphasised the camaraderie amongst humanitarian efforts on campus.
"I personally talked to someone from the WUSC club on campus and they're involved with humanitarian efforts and related to clubs such as the Red Cross and Oxfam, and they advertised for the relief fundrasier on their e-mail list already," said Al-Sayyed.
In addition to the fundraiser dinner, the SFU Red Cross Club will be holding a bake sale on October 17 in the south side of the Academic Quadrangle to appeal to students for donations. They are also making themselves readily available to answer any questions students may have to ensure that donations are made willingly.
"We'll have information sheets on what the Red Cross International and Red Cross Canada are already doing over in Pakistan and India as well as parts of Afghanistan, and what the appeal calls for," explained Chiran Livera, a member of the SFU Red Cross. "We'll also have what they'll be doing in the months to come with regards to the specific event of the earthquake. We have all the facts so if people want more information as to if they're donating $10 where that money is going."
Livera pointed out the significance of the direct appeal that the Red Cross is making and that students should know that every penny they donate will be going to the relief efforts for the earthquake.
"All the money that the SFU Red Cross Club is donating is going to the direct appeal - if you donate directly to the South Asia earthquake [direct] appeal, the money will go there. The International Red Cross oversees all the coordination efforts in Pakistan and that basically buys blankets, medical supplies, clean water," he added.
The annual "Fast-a-thon," held by the Muslim Students Association, will be another event in which the SFU spirit of charity will be made evident. Inspired by the Muslim lunar month of "Ramadan," the association will be inviting non-Muslim students to fast for a day on October 27 and then asking local businesses to donate a dollar for each student who fasts.
According to Ladan Davallow, the MSA president, the unanimous decision to direct the funds raised from the fast was not a difficult one.
"It is unquestionable the amount of aid that is needed for this cause and we are doing whatever we can to help. Many of our members are of Pakistani origin and, being personally affected by the disaster, they are passionate about doing something, even if it is minimal for the cause," said Davallow in an e-mail.
When asked whether the recent rash of natural disasters will have an impact on the enthusiasm of students to participate in yet another fundraiser, Davallow, along with the several other organisers of on-campus fundraisers, seemed sure of the generosity of students and Canadians.
"I think Canadians in general prove to be very generous and will donate to any cause. Many of us do realise that a natural disaster, whether in the U.S.A. or in Pakistan, leave the same effect - many deaths . . . and you don't need to be rich to donate. Imagine; if everyone in SFU gave a dollar, the relief effort would be about $25,000 richer. We realise this and we try to give all we can."
According to Livera, the concern of "compassion fatigue" spurred by the recent rash of natural disasters should not dampen the results of students' tireless efforts.
"I think that it's just that human empathy thing when people see that others are suffering, such as in natural disasters, the emotional part [of us] comes into it. It's not in terms of 'I've already donated 10 dollars to the tsunami, why do I have to give more now.' SFU students understand that there's suffering around the world."