A thousand welcomes

First-year science student Danielle Howe give a hand to 1,000 Hands. (Nick Pearce Photo)

WUSC Dalhousie’s 1,000 Hands fundraiser is creating a splash, raising awareness and cash for its Student Refugee Program.

The Dalhousie chapter of World University Service of Canada (WUSC) has set up booths in the Life Sciences Centre, Killam Library, Student Union Building and Tupper Building to encourage donors to add their hand prints on a large white banner.

Students and staff alike have responded warmly to this colourful fundraiser.

“Most people have been really enthusiastic about the idea,” says Marysia Parry, one of the WUSC members staffing the 1,000 Hands booth.

The event is being held to raise money to purchase a laptop for the 1,000th refugee student to be welcomed to Canada and to celebrate this milestone: this year, WUSC welcomed Ritha Abemba, the one-thousandth refugee student to study in Canada since the program began in 1978. Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ms. Abemba is a now a first-year student at the University of Winnipeg.

At Dalhousie, money gathered through the student levy pays for the first-year of tuition for these students, as well as books and board. Over the past 27 years, Dalhousie has welcomed 45 student refugees.

“A little-known fact is that each Dalhousie student contributes to this program. A $1.50 of our student fees goes directly to the Student Refugee Program here at Dal,” says Rosanna Nicol, chair of WUSC Dalhousie.  

There are plans to make the banner part of an art display in the Student Union Building to mark 27 years of WUSC at Dalhousie.

“The banner is a way to celebrate with fellow Dal students this historic moment in WUSC’s history and the role we've each played in it, says Ms. Nicol.

LINKS: WUSC, Education changes the world | Refugee student program reaches milestone in The Winnipeg Free Press