Aberdeen students are supporting refugees with the launch of a University branch of a charity led by young people, which strives to create lasting change in the treatment of displaced people.
Iona Collins - 4th Year International Relations and Legal Studies, Karim Otman - 2nd Year Sociology, and Emma Nylander - 4th year International Relations and Legal Studies, will launch the University of Aberdeen SolidariTee with a fundraising night, joining with student volunteers across the country who support the charity through activity at their own institutions.
SolidariTee was founded in January 2017 by Tiara Sahar Ataii, a then-first year student at the University of Cambridge. It has grown to become a student-led charity working alongside NGO partners to provide legal aid and psychological support to refugees and asylum seekers in Greece.
The student team is made up of regional teams based at individual universities and colleges. Central to its fundraising is the sale of Solidari-tees, which come in different designs crafted to spread awareness of the experience of many refugees.
Student groups also support fundraising through other activities and the Aberdeen branch will host its inaugural fundraising event on November 23 with a quiz night at Spin Bar
Iona said: “Students from all backgrounds and experience levels are encouraged to join SolidariTee! We are excited to launch SolidariTee in Aberdeen and meet other students seeking to make a global change!”
Emma added: “SolidariTee acts locally to impact globally. We hope to be a place where everyone feels included and heard”.
Karim said: “'Every little action that we do as a team goes a long way into helping refugees in Greece and we are so excited that the University of Aberdeen will be a part of it.''
The quiz night will get underway at 7pm. Entry is £3 and there will be prizes for the winners. For more information about the work of SolidariTee visit https://www.solidaritee.org.uk
