ST. CLOUD, Minn. - A Pakistani professor and students at St. Cloud State University have raised more than $11,000 to help victims of an earthquake that devastated their country's Kashmir region. And they don't plan to stop.
"We want to raise as much as possible," said Mohammad Mahroof-Tahir, an associate professor of chemistry. "We are concerned about those who may not get help in six months."
Last month's 7.6-magnitude quake killed an estimated 87,000 people and destroyed the homes of more than 3 million - many who are now living in tents in the foothills of the Himalayas, or have no shelter at all.
The quake wrecked a university in Kashmir where Mahroof-Tahir worked a decade ago. About 200 students and six of his former colleagues died.
"The building collapsed. It's hard to comprehend," he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
He started raising money through the Islamic Center of St. Cloud, prompting the university's Pakistani Student Association to start their own fundraising drive.
The proceeds go to orphaned students and schools in the earthquake-striken area.
