UC Pakistani Students Fight Hunger One Band at a Time
By Saad Siddiqui
 |
Roti and Naan are sold at subsidized rates: 1 rupee
for roti and 2 rupee for naan so each band is sold
for only three dollars |
The bands came in light green and dark green with a
small informational pamphlet about the hunger crisis in Pakistan |
Students belonging to the Pakistani Students Association (PSA) of the University of California Riverside (UCR) have launched the “UC Sasta Tandoor Project” to help Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s “Sasta Tandoor” welfare project that is designed to fight the effects of soaring inflation in Pakistan.
Over the past year, due to various external and internal factors, inflation in Pakistan has increased by 28 percent and has raised the number of the hunger-affected population from 60 to 77 million. This means that nearly 50 percent of the country is without adequate food supply.
The first tandoor was launched in the congested small town of Dubanpura which is located in the inner-city of Lahore, Pakistan on 27 August 2008 and since then many tandoors have been set up, particularly in the poverty-stricken inner-city and war-torn areas. Under the project, one roti is sold for two rupees and one naan is sold at the affordable price of three rupees and five rupees for an entire meal.
The UCR Pakistani students set up weekly tables on campus to sell and create awareness about the hunger
crisis. Left to Right: PSA Board member Tabish Naz, Hassan Mather, Co-president Sher Ali Khan, Saba
Dadabhoy, Saad Siddiqui, Rahil Imitiaz. Sitting L to Right: Co-President Anum Sheikh and Sarah Mirza
At the UCR, PSA board member Tabish Naz came together with co-presidents Anum Sheikh and Sher Ali Khan, to design a strategy to create an easy and affordable way of raising funds for the cause.
As a result, the club ordered 500 wristbands that relayed the message “Live hunger-free” between two small Pakistani flags. The wristbands are similar to Lance Armstrong’s “Livestrong” wristbands.
"The ‘Sasta Tandoor Project’ is a great way to engage campus and general community to raise awareness about Pakistan,” Sheikh, a senior political science major, said. “More specifically, the goal was to get the word out to students and encourage them to learn more about Pakistan.”
Each wristband costs three dollars and covers the cost of 100 people in Pakistan. At UCR, students from the PSA reserved a spot near the heart of UC Riverside’s campus and set up a table. At the table, students sold wristbands to campus community. With a dollar buying more than 80 rupees, campus communities have been high on buying wristbands.
“Sasta Tandoor was set up to raise awareness about Pakistan on the UCR campus. We have expanded the project to the University of California Irvine,” Naz, a senior sociology major and the head coordinator for the project said. “We are now looking to expand the project to the University of California campuses, because it has become a massive success. In just two weeks we have sold 500 wristbands and raised 1500 dollars .”
In its first run through of the project the UC Irvine PSA sold around 70 bands, raising around 300 dollars for the cause. The students have also been trying to target the non-Pakistani community through tabling on campus. People, who have bought wristbands at the campuses have been wearing them daily. In the future, the UC Sasta Tandoor project hopes to expand to other southern California UC campuses with Los Angeles and San Diego showing immediate interest.
“The pleasing thing about this project was that it also provided a great leadership opportunity for the students and gave a platform for more involvement with the general community in the future,” said Khan, who is also a senior Political Science major.
In the city of Corona, Calif. students from the UCR PSA made a few hundred sales. The effect of this fundraising campaign has really invigorated the Pakistani students and encouraged them to get involved in a serious way.
“ Its our goal as Pakistani Americans to take action and help the less fortunate because we have a lot of privileges living here. With those privileges comes responsibility,” Naz said.
People interested in helping or contributing to the project directly can send their emails at tabishnaz@gmail.com, sher.khan@email.ucr.edu or ucrpsa@gmail.com.
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