The Netherlands’ public and private broadcasters are teaming up on 26 August 2010 for a nationwide fund collecting day to help Pakistan flood victims. All radio and TV stations will call on listeners to donate money through the national giro bank account, 555.
In the evening there will be a Pakistan theme programme on one of the public channels. A telephone panel gathering donations from the public will be manned by showbiz personalities throughout the day.
The decision to hold a national fundraiser follows earlier doubts over the public’s willingness to spend for aid to disaster victims in a remote and relatively unknown country. Aid groups hesitated to fire up a campaign during the northern hemisphere’s summer holidays, when many people are away from home. Meanwhile, many have returned and the news media have picked up on the Pakistan flooding disaster.
The fundraising day is organised by SHO, the umbrella organisation of ten Dutch aid groups, which include Oxfam Novib, the Red Cross, Terre des Hommes and Save the Children.
(Source: RNW News)
