Fundraising campaign for Japan

Photo: Facebook - Aleksandra Berezkina

In an initiative started by the International Office, Red Cross representatives, Norwegian and international students joined the worldwide campaign of aiding the victims of the double catastrophe that struck Japan on the 11th Of March 2011. Armed with will to help, ideas and support from the administration of the university college, Pangaia and STiV representatives prepared the details for the fundraising event.

A stand was organized in the main building of the campus, Berte Kanutte, during three consecutive days: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Students prepared and sold waffles in exchange of any donation.

Interest and generosity

Rita Vahalcsik, international trainee in Pangaia and one of the organizers comments that volunteers on the stand experienced both interest and compassion coming from the students and staff members who stopped to make a donation.

- Most of the people donated something in exchange for the waffle. There were some who only gave money without taking the waffle, but also other who just came to the stand and asked about the action and then left. We also had some very generous students, who compensated for the ones interested only in the free waffle.

The fundraising action was considered a success as 5392,5 NOK was the total amount of the donations. The money were deposited in the Red Cross Volda bank account and transferred via Red Cross International to Japan. They will be used for supplies, food, water, shelters, in an international effort of helping the victims.

Tengyo Kura, a former teacher at Volda University College, who is Japanese and now lives in Tokyo, expressed his gratitude towards the action initiated by our students, via the Facebook page created for the event.

- Thank you very much for sharing your hearts, my friends. Your love is always with us here in Japan. I am sending you lots of gratitude and appreciation from Japan!