{"id":91932,"date":"2018-11-13T15:22:33","date_gmt":"2018-11-13T14:22:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=91932"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:23:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:23:08","slug":"students-grow-beards-for-reconstruction-of-syrian-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2018\/11\/13\/students-grow-beards-for-reconstruction-of-syrian-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Students grow beards for reconstruction of Syrian school"},"content":{"rendered":"

Twelve students raised money by growing their moustaches and beards. The funds will be used to reconstruct three classrooms of a school in Syria. RSM student and action initiator Jonas von den Driesch sought to raise at least five thousand euros. So far, the students have collected \u20ac4,809.<\/p>\n

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Jonas von den Driesch<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Von den Driesch organises a Movember action every year. This year he got donors to part with funds for the reconstruction of a school in Quneitra, a Syrian region that was hit hard by bombs. The funds will be donated to the HELP and OCHA organisations, which come under the United Nations humanitarian affairs relief coordination agency. The two organisations will be rebuilding four schools in Quneitra.<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u201cThe first project taught me that I can make an impact. It takes a lot of time to set up an action like this, but it\u2019s definitely worth it.\u201d\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t–<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJonas von den Driesch about his Movember-action\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Four years ago, the German student was inspired by a \u2018Movember\u2019 action he saw on the Internet. He immediately started growing his own moustache and beard, even though he did not know at the time which charity he wished to support. \u201cI wanted to do something education-related, because I feel it\u2019s important, and it\u2019s a subject close to my heart,\u201d the international student told us. His first Movember action raised five hundred euros, and since then he has been a Movember activist every year. \u201cThe first project taught me that I can make an impact. It takes a lot of time to set up an action like this, but it\u2019s definitely worth it,\u201d said Von den Driesch.<\/p>\n

For this particular action, Von den Driesch aimed to raise \u20ac5,000. \u201cOf course I wish to collect as much money as possible, but I wished to set an attainable goal, to get people to think, \u2018Hey, this is an amount we can actually raise.\u2019 Five thousand euros will allow us to rebuild three classrooms in which over a hundred pupils will be taught.\u201d<\/p>\n

Girls\u2019 beards made of coriander<\/h2>

Ever since his first action, Von den Driesch has sought to add a new element to his initiative every year. \u201cFor instance, in 2016 I had my moustache and beard dyed. A barber shop in Cologne was willing to do it for free, that being their contribution to the initiative,\u201d he told us. This year women joined in the action for the first time. \u201cFour female friends of us were sorry they couldn\u2019t be involved in our action. And I found myself thinking, \u2018Well, why not?\u2019 Our motto is that everyone can help, so we decided to get them involved in the action, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs part of the campaign, we took photos once a week for our social media. The girls had to improvise a bit,\u201d Von den Driesch told us. While the boys grew actual beards and moustaches, the girls pasted flowers, coriander or fake moustaches to their faces.<\/p>\n\n\t

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Een lijst van afbeeldingen<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t
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