Ridge Students Raise Money for Nepal

June 8th, 2015
Kyanna Ouyang
Hitha Santosh

On April 25, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, killing more than 8,000 Nepalese and injuring twice as many. As of today, hundreds are still missing. Entire villages were flattened and subsequent landslides and avalanches destroyed thousands more houses, rendering almost half a million Nepalese homeless and without shelter. On May 12, there was yet another devastating earthquake of magnitude 7.3.

To contribute to aid effort, the French students of Ridge High School raised money to fund rebuilding efforts in the region. Under the guidance of French teachers Mrs. Gozlan and Mrs. vonDoehren, we sold bracelets for a few dollars each setting a goal of $3,000. To publicize our efforts, we created posters and flags that were hung all around our school. Students also sold bracelets to their friends and relatives outside or school: at dance recitals, sports practices, etc. Some even collected money door-to-door in their neighborhoods.

Yesterday, the fundraiser ended, and we greatly surpassed our original goal, collecting a total of $4,670 to help the people of Nepal. This amount will be used by the aid organization “Friends of Nepal-New Jersey”, will enable the building of 3 to 4 houses, which will be a small step in providing shelter to the half-million homeless Nepalese. At a ceremony at Ridge High School, held yesterday, this money was presented to the president of “Friends of Nepal-New Jersey”. The check was handed off by student Anastasia Mahdavian, who raised $238, the greatest amount collect individually.

To us in America, a dollar does not seem like much—it barely buys us a drink at the vending machine. However, for millions of people around the world, a dollar is often the difference between life and death, between starvation and a full stomach. In Nepal, one dollar can sustain an entire family for several days. Fifty dollars will provide one child’s education for a year. Imagine what we can accomplish in the world if every person in America contributes a single dollar. By participating in this is a lesson that we, and the rest of the French students at Ridge High School, have internalized.