A group of Indonesian graduate students who survived the 2004 Asian Tsunami has donated $500 to help the survivors of the recent earthquake in Haiti.
The students, all part of the Bush/Clinton Tsunami Relief Initiative, who were competitively selected to receive Fulbright Scholarships to study in the United States, pooled their money to make the donation to the Clinton/Bush Haiti Fund.
Three of the students, Ratnasari Dewi (’11), Faisal Umar (’10) and Rina Meutia (’09), have attended the Clinton School to study in the school’s Master of Public Service degree program.
The Bush/Clinton Fulbright program was started by former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton during their efforts to help raise funding and aid following the tsunami in 2004. Clinton and former President George W. Bush have carried on that tradition in Haiti.
“Mr. Presidents, please tell the people of Haiti that this is not the end, that this is just the beginning, and there is always hope after a catastrophe,” Clinton School graduate Meutia said in a letter to Clinton and Bush.
Most of the students from Aceh Province, Indonesia, have completed their graduate and post-graduate degrees at the University of Arkansas, Texas A&M University and other universities in the United States and returned home to help rebuild their country.
Three of the students have attended the Clinton School to study in the school’s unique Master of Public Service degree program.
Since returning, they formed the Aceh Fulbright Association to stay in touch with each other and assist in the development process of Aceh.
“Please accept our US$ 500 contribution to your fundraising,” the group wrote to the presidents. “We realize this is a small amount particularly compared to what you have given to us, but we are sending this with a tremendous amount of prayers.”
Responses