McMaster and McMaster Students Union partner to aid student refugees
McMaster and the McMaster Students Union are launching a joint partnership to help support student refugees, with a focus over the coming year on refugees from Syria.
The initiative builds on the existing student refugee program funded by full-time McMaster undergraduate students.
“By partnering together, it is our goal to expand the current program students have generously funded and to help make a difference,” says McMaster President Patrick Deane.
“The refugee crisis in Syria is of such a scale that it can be difficult figuring out how we can help,” says Ehima Osazuwa, president of the McMaster Students Union. “With this additional investment by the University, McMaster and its students can do their part to help improve the plight of some of those impacted.”
The University will invest funds to bolster the students’ contributions. The MSU’s student refugee program is funded through a $1.53 fee, which supports the sponsoring of a student refugee each academic year through the World University Service of Canada (WUSC).
WUSC is a Canadian non-profit organization that works with a network of post-secondary institutions, private-sector partners and volunteers to provide education, employment and empowerment opportunities that improve the lives of disadvantaged youth around the world.
Under this plan, the University will provide an additional investment to bring the program budget to almost $100,000 per year.
There has been significant interest from faculty, staff and students in making contributions, and the university has set up a donor page where donations can be made. All donations will go directly towards support for student refugees at McMaster.
Deane and Osazuwa hope that the additional resources will make a real difference in the lives of those under great stress. “With the new investment, our goal is to maximize the opportunities for McMaster to work with its partners to help alleviate the pressing needs we are seeing in Syria and across Europe,” says Deane.
