Raising funds for Japan

The NUS community continually surprises me and makes me very proud to be here. Last week was one of those moments.

One day following Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami, the students in Department of Japanese Studies took it upon themselves to organize a fund raiser for the Red Cross to assist the victims. Many of these students have been personally moved by Japanese culture since they were very young. Most of them have also been to Japan, either with their families or on study abroad. Japan has continually impacted these students, not only on an educational level, but personally as well. This was an opportunity for them to give back to the country that means so much to them.

Planning began immediately, with the students emailing and calling one another, establishing different committees, and gaining permission from the appropriate University authorities. The effort was called "Send Love to Japan" (see poster below). Over two days, students carried three boxes around campus and collected donations from anyone willing to contribute. A fourth box was placed in front of the Central Library, where passersby had the opportunity to fold one or more paper cranes in a symbolic gesture of hope for the disaster victims.

The students hoped to raise S$10,000 (about US$8000), which I thought would be difficult, but possible. How many students would give money to help the Japanese? How strong would the memories of Japan's military presence in Singapore be? Would Singaporeans be willing to send money to a country with a much larger GDP than its own?

Near the end of the first day I decided to stay and help count the first day's donations. For two hours I assisted six students and two other staff in counting every coin, note and check dropped in the four boxes. We were shocked to find that the students collected just over $26,000 in one day!!

Top of one of the donation boxes.

Having already exceed the goal, I thought that most students and staff had given on the first day and that the next day would have a smaller total. However, the next day's total was $34,000, making a two-day total of $60,000 (US$47,500)! Sadly, I later learned that this is more in relief than the Singapore government sent Haiti last year following its own terrible earthquake.

After two days of raising funds, the students and two of us faculty took the money to the Japanese Association here in Singapore (which then gave the money to the Red Cross). We brought the money in the original boxes, and gave a string of one thousand cranes, too.

Students giving donations to Japanese Association representative

Happy students after turning over the donations

Cranes made by hundreds of individuals now hang in the Japanese Association as a reminder of the efforts of our students and the entire NUS community.

Cranes hanging in the lobby of the Japanese Association

In the end, the students wanted no credit for their efforts. They did not notify newspapers and television and avoided these people when they eventually learned of the efforts. Instead, the students referred reporters to the Department Head. In the end, they credited the students, staff and faculty of NUS for stepping up and showing their concern about the Japanese people in their time of need.