PVS UNICEF Club Raises Money To Support Niger with Hot Cocoa

UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, is an organization which provides humanitarian aid to children across the world. The organization aims to help and protect the rights of disadvantaged adolescents. The PVS UNICEF High School Club is open to all high school students. As part of its partnership with the US Fund for UNICEF, the club advocates for, educates, and raises funds for UNICEF-supported causes. Throughout the year, the club hosts several events, and one of those events this school year was the Hot Cocoa and Cookies Fundraiser.

With the stress of midterms week, school, and studying, PVS UNICEF Club wanted to host an event that would both appeal to students and teachers while also aligning with the goals of the club. Winter weather provided the perfect opportunity to sell hot chocolate, a classic cold season drink, and also the perfect treat for the students taking final exams at the school. As an added bonus, doing it all for a good cause made it even more worthwhile while attracting many customers who bought drinks and even left generous donations.

Beginning this academic year, PVS has been collaborating with African Health, Education, and Development (AHEAD), a 501c3 organization that has been committed to improving the economic, social, and medical lives of Africans. The Club wanted to raise funds for the building of a well in Niger in the name of PVS, and Alhamdulillah, they were able to collect enough money to do so.

The event was a huge success among students, parents, teachers, and even outside community members. In just one week, they were able to raise $1,918.95 from hot cocoa sales alone!

Member of the PVS UNICEF Club, Fayadh Chowdhury, commented, “The hot cocoa drive was a way for us to incorporate the entire student body in helping us reach our goal of building a well in Niger. Our event was a great success, as we gave hundreds of cups of hot cocoa while also earning enough money to achieve our international goal. It was our way of incorporating the motto, ‘Think locally, act globally.’”

Yasmeen Mannan, another member of the club shared, ”While the amount is overwhelming, I can’t say I’m surprised, as the Muslim community, both within and outside PVS, has proven their generosity again and again, and for that we are very grateful. Additionally, we really enjoyed meeting with the students and other customers who stopped by our stand.”

As of now, the UNICEF Club is still in the process of planning future events to hold for the remainder of the school year. Through their work, the club hopes to emphasize the importance of bringing awareness to a variety of global issues affecting society, economics, and the environment. The first event, Change for Education, recognized the disparity in literacy rates around the world, and the Hot Cocoa and Cookies Fundraiser addressed inequalities in clean water access. They hope to continue this goal of diversifying awareness of issues in upcoming events, which will take place very soon, InshaAllah.