The Cornell Indonesian Association will raise money to support Indonesian communities in the wake of recent natural disasters.
According to The New York Times, on Sept. 28, the Indonesian island of Sulawesi was hit with a 7.5 magnitude earthquake that also triggered a devastating tsunami. The death toll has risen to 1,649 and rescue efforts are still underway, The Times reported.
“Reading news of the need for aid, seeing videos of the damages, and knowing that people in your country need help, made us want to act on the issue immediately,” said Tiffany Ng ’20, CIA treasurer, in an email to The Sun.
“With a gut feeling and a group of people,” a fundraising committee was put together within a day, Ng said.
The donation drive is collecting funds through Venmo to aid in disaster relief. All donations are being transferred to the American Red Cross Indonesia, known as Palang Merah Indonesia, as quickly as possible, according to the CIA’s Facebook post announcing the drive. The money will be used to help rebuild the community by funding fresh water and supplies.
Alice Soewito ’21, a CIA member who is heading the effort, said, “We knew that as members of the Cornell Indonesian Association, it was our responsibility to spread word about the natural disaster. We also knew that because Cornell is a huge and diverse community, there would be many individuals who connect with this issue in some way or another.”
“I think when it comes to an ‘international’ event, it might seem difficult to donate from here in America. However, the CIA wanted to do something and act as an avenue to catalyze that process of helping,” Soewito added.
The CIA has already raised $2,125 of its $5,000 goal.