As cliché as it may sound, form a young age, I’ve always wanted to have a positive impact on this world. Last month, I had the opportunity to make this a reality. I was able to participate in the annual February Fundraiser. This is when students across the country come together to fundraise for one common goal, this year the goal was to build a school in Somalia.
As the Vice-President of SYFI, the organisation that leads the February Fundraiser, and the President of the UCL Somali Society, I was heavily involved with the organisational aspect of the month. We were told by African Relief Fund, the charity we were working with, that we needed to raise a minimum of £30,000 to make this all possible.
Thanks to the amazing effort of all those involved, we surpassed this total. We managed to raise £59,134.95, with UCL Somali Society raising the most and contributing £8776.97. Now we have the budget to build a school in Somalia. Something sustainable. Something long-term. Definitely my best university experience to date!
Abdulkadir Elmi, fourth-year medical student, UCL Somali Society President, Vice-President of SYFI and Outreach Manager at Bright Education Centre
