Though far from their homes in Lima, three NC State students haven’t let the distance hinder them from doing everything they can to help provide for the more than half a million people affected by devastating floods striking Peru.

For the past three weeks, cities on the pacific coast of Peru have experienced considerable amounts of rainfall from El Niño, resulting in floods, mudslides, as well as ruined infrastructure, schools and health centers.

With family still in the country, Ines Ortiz de Zevallos Jr., a sophomore studying textile technology, Natalie Tweddle, a junior studying fashion and textile management and Sofia Olaechea, a senior studying fashion and textile design, have a connection to the crisis. The floods have not directly affected their families; however, they have experienced water shortages as a result of the other catastrophes. After a week of following the severe floods, mudslides and after-effects of those disasters in Peru, the students couldn’t shake the feeling that they needed to help provide for those most directly affected by the crisis.

“Most of the people affected are people from very low socioeconomic classes,” Tweddle said. “Most of the houses that have been destroyed are houses that have been built in invaded terrains, also known as shanty towns or favelas.”

Despite the magnitude of the crisis and their distance from Peru, Ortiz de Zevallos Jr., Olaechea and Tweddle decided to use their current position as college students to raise money and awareness for the national emergency. They have decided to donate the money through the #UnaSolaFuerza organization to provide water and hygiene kits for the affected population.

“#UnaSolaFuerza is a movement created by the government’s operation center for national emergencies to unify all efforts to help the people affected by this catastrophe,” Ortiz de Zevallos Jr. said.

The students explained that they chose this specific organization because it has a history of working in Peru and has proved to be professional and efficient in all of its goals. Though now it is focusing on providing relief for those affected by the catastrophe, the organization also aims to improve access to water and sanitation, and reduce chronic malnutrition, maternal mortality and infant mortality.

When Ortiz de Zevallos Jr., Olaechea and Tweddle first started following the crisis, they all echoed the sentiment that they felt “helpless” in the face of the disaster, due to its sheer size and their distance. However, as the floods and mudslides progressed and left thousands displaced, the three students became determined to overcome the distance and find a way to respond.

“After a little while, we noticed that we could do something to help regardless of where we were,” Tweddle said.

Ortiz de Zevallos Jr., Olaechea and Tweddle began raising money about two weeks ago and are hoping to raise $2,000 so they will be able to pay for 30 water kits and 15 hygiene kits through #UnaSolaFuerza.

In order to reach the broadest audience possible, Ortiz de Zevallos Jr., Olaechea and Tweddle have employed a number of different strategies. They have tabled in Talley Student Union and in the College of Textiles, set up a GoFundMe page, presented in front of their classes, emailed their professors and the board of the College of Textiles, contacted the Student Organization of Multicultural Affairs and promoted their fundraiser on Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat.

Though none of the three students experienced a flooding catastrophe while living in Peru, they did live through a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2007 that threw the country into a national emergency. Tweddle remembered responding to that crisis through her high school at the time, but she believed that experience was completely different because she wasn’t the one making the decision to take a stand and organize the fundraising.

“Peru suffered a horrible earthquake and at my high school we all did fundraising and donated necessary supplies,” Tweddle said. “However, all of the donations and fundraising I did was through my school, so it wasn’t a personal experience of standing up and deciding to make a change on my own.”

Now, despite living away from their families and the crisis in a country over 3,000 miles away, the students have each made their own decision to take the initiative to participate in raising money and awareness for the emergency in Peru. In addition, they took on the responsibility of organizing the fundraising, promoting it the through all avenues and donating through a specific organization for a particular cause.

Ortiz de Zevallos Jr., Olaechea and Tweddle hope to buy the kits as soon as possible but are planning to collect donations until the end of the week. If you are interested in donating, visit https://www.gofundme.com/unasolafuerza-fuerzaperu