Fighting poverty

Being a university student brings with it its own privileges and responsibilities. Last week students of the Vision Club at the University of Sharjah took on the role of raising awareness about the global issue of poverty through a lecture organised on campus.

Majd Al Masharawi, president of the club founded last year, said: "Students first have to be aware of the problem. When I walk on campus, I feel no one cares about what's happening but it's not fair. Students can think about the issue, discuss it, make an event about it, write on a blog, etc. There are many things they can do without even donating a dime. This event cost us nothing but it raised awareness among students."

Presentations

At the lecture Direct-Aid, a Kuwaiti non-government organisation, gave an overview of their projects in Africa and other future initiatives, while a representative from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) discussed poverty in the world and how it can be alleviated.

Students who attended said that they felt it was their duty to be part of an event like this and to think about how they can help eradicate poverty in their own way.

Wedad Haitham, a computer science student who attended the lecture, told Notes, "In the university, we always have events on technology, arts and medicine but rarely on social problems. As a computer scientist, I know I can help through my work and in my own field and hopefully I will be able to."

Muhannad Al Jandaly, a civil engineering student, said that students don't usually attend these events because they are not entertaining. "As president of the Jordanian Club, I try to stay away from [organising] lectures and seminars because they drive students away. There is so much poverty and yet so much wealth in the world; I can't help but feel I want to help."