By Janine Kritschgau '18, Staff Writer
Kashmir and neighboring areas are currently experiencing their most devastating flooding in recent history. Victims are struggling to find safety from the water, which has taken the lives of 460 people to date. Although the exact number of people displaced by the flooding is unknown, estimates near a million..
A group of students from Skidmore has responded to the crisis by forming The Kashmir Flood Volunteers Action Committee (KFVAC). The group, led by Ben Hinks ’15 and supervised by Professor Biberman-Ocakli of the Government department, gathered for the first time Thursday, Oct. 9 to discuss fundraising strategies.
KFVAC has decided that all proceeds will be sent directly to Samir Ahmad—a former colleague of Professor Biberman-Ocakli—who is currently teaching in Kashmir. Ahmad will distribute the funds throughout the community to help victims buy necessary items. KFVAC hopes to wire the donation within the next two weeks.
The Committee has generated a plethora of fundraising ideas, but decided to focus on a few—namely, collecting money online. Donations are being collected through a webpage hosted by GoFundMe, which has already raised $1400, just $600 short of the goal amount. . Other students can participate in the fundraising by buying grilled cheese sandwiches made by the FeelGood Club (date TBD). KFVAC is also in talks with Esperanto’s, a local global foods restaurant, who would donate a portion of its profits on a specific day to the cause, but as of yet the effort has been unsuccessful. Instead, the group is trying to set up a table at Celebration Weekend to collect donations and spread awareness about the issue.
Stay updated on the cause by watching and reading the news and keep an eye out for KFVAC and their fundraising efforts as they strive to help out people who are in need.
