Are you for Pakistan?
RU4PK is an initiative put together by campus organizations and individuals to raise awareness about the 2010 floods in Pakistan and funds for the flood victims. The flooding, though gradual, was devastating. This, combined with U.S. tensions in Pakistan and a lack of international relief funds, means Pakistani flood victims are largely ignored.
The collective of RU4PK has been working to raise awareness and funds since last October. The groups involved include the Muslim Student Association, Arab Student Association, Indian Student Association, United Nations-Student Alliance and the Bayanihan Student Organization.
On Wednesday, the groups’ hard work was displayed in the Alumni Memorial Union with two exhibits, the Pakistan Cultural Exhibit and the Disaster Relief Camp Exhibit, a scaled down re-creation of a Pakistani refugee camp.
“The point of the Cultural Exhibit is to inform the Marquette student body about the richness of Pakistani culture and the dangers that the flood waters still present to Pakistanis,” said Lillian Figg-Franzoi, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and member of the RU4PK planning team.
The exhibit showcased the music, clothing and art of Pakistan. A popular art form is Henna/Mehndi, in which the skin is decorated with traditional designs using an orange-colored dye. Those involved with RU4PK wore traditional Pakistani clothing or green colored clothing (the color of the Pakistani flag) and answered questions about the culture.
RU4PK seeks to educate students on the culture and people of Pakistan. Even though the country is often in the news, group members feel the general public is not personally familiar with the problems facing Pakistan, Figg-Franzoi said.
Tyler Gregory, a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences and member of United Nations-Student Alliance, decided to volunteer at the relief exhibit after hearing about the event through his organization.
“I decided to help out with RU4PK because their objectives of raising awareness and funds toward the floods that have ravaged Pakistan in 2010 are synonymous with the U.N.’s goals,” Gregory said.
The model disaster camp, complete with a makeshift living tent and hospital, was constructed to raise awareness and educate the Marquette community on the realities of flood victims. It was modeled after a real disaster camp in Pakistan.
“I think it’s really cool that these are numbers from an actual camp in Pakistan,” said Martha Hurtado Oliveros, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and member of RU4PK. “It makes it all the more believable and personal.”
The ultimate goal of the RU4PK event is to remind people that natural disasters know no political tensions and that those in Pakistan are still in need of help. The complicated planning and logistics that go into helping disaster victims is also often overlooked.
“People do not understand that, over six months on, the Pakistani people still need help and international organizations are desperate for people to remember this and provide funds,” Figg-Franzoi said.