Harambee Fundraising Dinner for Student Refugee Program at VIU

add to outlook add to google calendar remind me

Saturday, April 25th, 2015
6:00 PM

The Vancouver Island University (VIU) branch of WUSC (World University Service of Canada) will be holding Harambee, their annual gala dinner to raise funds for the Student Refugee Program (SRP) at VIU.

WUSC’s Student Refugee Program is a unique international development initiative, where Canadian students sponsor students in refugee camps around the world to come pursue their studies at Canadian universities. As refugees, these students have fled their homes due to fears of persecution or violence based on their ethnicity, religion or political affiliation.

Upon their arrival in Canada, these students are given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pursue their educational goals as Permanent Residents. WUSC’s Student Refugee Program is the only initiative of its kind in the world, making competition for a coveted sponsorship fierce in the refugee camps.

Since its founding at VIU in 2008, the WUSC Student Refugee Program has sponsored 10 students to come pursue their studies in Nanaimo. These students come from the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps in Kenya, having originally fled their homes in Somalia or South Sudan respectively. Sadly, VIU’s Student Refugee Program is the lowest-funded in Canada. While other universities are able to offer their Sponsored Students four years of paid academic and living expenses, VIU is only able to offer one year of sponsorship to two new students each year. After that, the students are expected to take on student loans and part-time work to fund their education in Canada. Ticket fee includes a four-course meal; vegetarian option available. Please contact via email or phone for tickets.

The Harambee Gala Dinner is VIU’s largest annual fundraiser for the Student Refugee Program on campus. Each year, a dedicated team of student volunteers comes together to put on this evening of fun, food and dance. A four-course meal will be served, with live entertainment, Fair Trade sales and a silent auction to add to the evening. The event is attended by local elected officials, VIU faculty and supportive community members, making it a fantastic networking opportunity.

Event website:
https://www.viu.ca/events/harambee-gala-fundraising-dinner