A group of Glasgow students from Myanmar will launch a campaign to raise funds for those affected by the recent earthquake in their homeland.
More than 17 million people have been affected by the earthquake in Myanmar with entire communities left without homes and looking to rebuild.
The students are asking people to donate to a Go Fund Me as well as creating a Pyit Taing Htaung (PTH). The PTH is a traditional Burmese toy which is known for its ability to always bounce back when knocked over.
The group have decided to use it as a symbolic reminder of resilience and hope that Myanmar can recover from the damage the earthquake has caused.
More than 3,500 people have been confirmed as dead, with a further 5,000 injured in the disaster.
A third of the population – 19.9 million – were already in need of humanitarian support before the earthquake and the students are hoping to ease some of the pain being suffered by their compatriots back home.
That is why they are asking the public to create their own Pyit Taing Htaung in any form, from clay and paper to crochet, eggshells or even a digital design and share it on social media with a donation to help save lives and ‘Pass the Hope’ (PTH) from Glasgow to Myanmar.
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One of the students involved is Nichole, who admits that she had some initial relief because her family was not affected personally before realising the impact it had on the country and she was determined to help in some way.
She said: “I later saw more footage from Mandalay. So, even though I had that initial relief because my family wasn't personally affected seeing the footages on the ground, and how damaging the devastation was.
“And I have some friends online as well, sharing that their relatives have passed away, or some really like maybe intense imagery. And I really felt guilty that I was okay and relieved that my family was okay.
“But when I learned that it wasn’t the same for a lot of other people it really wasn’t great to hear about it
“The campaign is based off a traditional Burmese toy and if people more people are involved in the making of the craft then they are connecting, not just with the craft, but with the people of Myanmar and our fundraising message.
“By doing this, it's a symbolic understanding, the symbolic representation of resilience. If people make something in this campaign, they are not just raising awareness, they are not just donating money but they are able to understand and connect with the people in Myanmar at this difficult time – living with them in the recovery, passing on hope, that is the campaign.”
The campaign is being backed by musician, artist and former Glasgow School of Art student Steve Lindsay, who has offered his support with one of his recent tracks that reflects how the people of Myanmar are coming to terms with the disaster entitled ‘Nothing Will Ever Be The Same Again’.
He said: “There is so much difficult news for us to take onboard right now that even huge disasters like this earthquake rarely stay in the headlines for long.
“Now that I’m more aware of what is going on there and the scale of the need, I’m more than happy to support this inspiring, creative effort from Myanmar students here in Glasgow and across the UK.
“If you can, please donate and get the message out to your family and friends too across social media.”
The student campaign is in support of the Disaster Emergency Committee’s appeal, which has already raised £1.7m in Scotland and £19.2m across the UK.
Huw Owen, from the DEC, said: “Despite the consistent generosity of the Scottish public for the DEC, the urgency and scale of the crisis means we still need to raise more funds to support our members in Myanmar to reach huge numbers of people who still need life-saving support.
“The Myanmar students who’re behind this creative project have had difficulty sleeping since the earthquake happened 3 weeks ago.
“The stories they’ve shared with us about what has happened and is still happening to their families and friends makes it clear how difficult the situation is and will be in Myanmar, long into the future.
“Please support their efforts if you can, donate to their fundraiser, get creative this Easter weekend and encourage your friends and family to get involved too.”
To donate to the campaign, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/pthglasgowformyanmar
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