FIUTS Annual Campaign 2019: Inspiring Global Action
When Nandini Valsan joined the UW as an exchange student in 1996, she didn’t expect UW and FIUTS to become such an important part of her life. “Because of orientation week, I made many friends from other countries. Many of whom are still close friends to this day. As the year progressed, I found myself spending more time at the FIUTS office and signed up as a volunteer during my free time.” She eventually went on to create the first CulturalFest International Expo. “I have a sense of having left something behind for future generations, and that makes me feel an immense gratitude.” To combat gender-based violence in her home country of India, Nandini worked with a group of friends to create the Raising Our Voices Foundation (ROV), a forum for individuals who want to bring about a change to gender imbalance, rape, and child abuse. ROV’s core activities involve empowering women and children; providing support and rehabilitation for victims of gender discrimination and domestic violence; and creating awareness about gender issues in the larger community. “FIUTS gave me wings to know and believe in myself.”