22/09/2024
Czechia
participants
The main aim of this project was to help people in need after the floods that hit the Moravian-Silesian region of the Czech Republic, to clear away debris such as mud from the streets, to chop off the wet plaster, to help clean the houses of people who didn't have the strength to do it themselves and after the hard work, to cheer up the affected people by talking to them, because many of them had never seen international students before It was a pleasant surprise for them that some international students were helping them in their time of need. We have seen this especially useful in supporting ESN mission because foreign students and expats in the Czech Republic are unfortunately subjected to a high level of misunderstanding and rejection from the general public, especially among the older generation.
After many years, we were hit by a significant flood in the Czech Republic, specifically in the Moravian-Silesian region, which caused extensive damage. The main idea was to enlist volunteers from the local ESN community, especially international students who had arrived at VSB - Technical University of Ostrava for the winter semester of academic year 2024/2025 or who were already in the city of Ostrava at the time, to help residents clear debris from the affected areas. Because of these unforeseen events, the university has moved the beginning of the semester by one week to ensure safety of students. After Orientation Days, the international students were ready to start the semester, but now, they had one extra week, when they were still new in the city. That is where we saw a beautiful opportunity to connect the international students with local communities and help the ones who needed it the most.
