Migszol started a series of fundraising events this Saturday (13 September 2014) with a Market Day at the Gardrób Közösségi Vásár, in the Central Passage on Király utca. This was quite an unexpected event for the group, as charity fundraising was one of the last things on our minds until a couple of months ago. Operating on a money deficit is pretty much the permanent state of affairs for Migszol, but we usually manage to get by mostly by contributing from our own pockets and getting some occasional donations. We are thrifty people.
What happened a few months ago?
We met Guilherme. We heard about him from a friendly NGO and we gave him a call. It turned out Guilherme has been living in Hungary for more than 10 years with a legal status that comes with little to no protection: he was granted a ‘tolerated stay’ (befogadott) in Hungary, a confusing legal status that is hard to understand even for people dealing with asylum issues.
Guilherme can stay in Hungary but he does not have the right to work, receive health care or social assistance. He has a terrible health problem as his legs are amputated below the knees, his prosthetics are old and they hurt him. And, because he is not allowed to work, he does not have a stable income. When Migszol heard of this terrible situation, we contacted several organizations who might have the institutional and financial resources to help. Unfortunately none of them were able to help.
Because we are so outraged that Guilherme was left to fend for himself without being given the means to do that, we decided to try to raise the money ourselves. So here we are now, asking for money and for help — fundraising. We thought of selling food, throwing parties and one of our members suggested participating in Gardrób Közösségi Vásár. We contacted them, and fortunately they were friendly and offered us a free table at their next event. Then we collected donated clothes, hangers, a metal stand, and a bike trailer from Cyclonomia and there we were, on our way to the market!
What happened a few months ago?
We met Guilherme. We heard about him from a friendly NGO and we gave him a call. It turned out Guilherme has been living in Hungary for more than 10 years with a legal status that comes with little to no protection: he was granted a ‘tolerated stay’ (befogadott) in Hungary, a confusing legal status that is hard to understand even for people dealing with asylum issues.
Guilherme can stay in Hungary but he does not have the right to work, receive health care or social assistance. He has a terrible health problem as his legs are amputated below the knees, his prosthetics are old and they hurt him. And, because he is not allowed to work, he does not have a stable income. When Migszol heard of this terrible situation, we contacted several organizations who might have the institutional and financial resources to help. Unfortunately none of them were able to help.
Because we are so outraged that Guilherme was left to fend for himself without being given the means to do that, we decided to try to raise the money ourselves. So here we are now, asking for money and for help — fundraising. We thought of selling food, throwing parties and one of our members suggested participating in Gardrób Közösségi Vásár. We contacted them, and fortunately they were friendly and offered us a free table at their next event. Then we collected donated clothes, hangers, a metal stand, and a bike trailer from Cyclonomia and there we were, on our way to the market!
It was a bit more difficult than we thought it would be but also much more fun than expected. We sold clothes and received donations too. In total, we managed to collect 66 170 HUF [~ 200 EUR]. Not bad for a rainy day!
So this is the start of things to come. Concerts, parties, and lunches will be announced soon! Meanwhile you can enjoy the pictures we have from the market day. We will not stop until we have raised the 560 000 HUF [~ 2000 EUR] needed to replace Guilherme's prosthesis.
We are very pleased with the success of our first event, and realize that this only hinged on the work of a group of volunteers. If you want to contribute, then keep in touch, participate and tell people about us. We also very much welcome the help and support of organizations that can help us host events, so that we can generate a snowball-effect for Saturday’s success.
Last but not least: We would like to thank everybody who contributed by donating clothes, jewelry, metal stands and money, people who came by to say hello, people who brought tea and sold the clothes and of course the organizers of the market. Thank you for your help and your thoughts!
So this is the start of things to come. Concerts, parties, and lunches will be announced soon! Meanwhile you can enjoy the pictures we have from the market day. We will not stop until we have raised the 560 000 HUF [~ 2000 EUR] needed to replace Guilherme's prosthesis.
We are very pleased with the success of our first event, and realize that this only hinged on the work of a group of volunteers. If you want to contribute, then keep in touch, participate and tell people about us. We also very much welcome the help and support of organizations that can help us host events, so that we can generate a snowball-effect for Saturday’s success.
Last but not least: We would like to thank everybody who contributed by donating clothes, jewelry, metal stands and money, people who came by to say hello, people who brought tea and sold the clothes and of course the organizers of the market. Thank you for your help and your thoughts!
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