Welcome

Welcome to the Serious Request 2012 page of the University of Twente. On this website you can find more information on the activities at the University of Twente in the context of Serious Request, and the support provided by the University to organisations what wish to organise activities.

Glass House

In the week of 18 December - 24 December 2012 three DJs will lock themselves up in the Glass House on the Oude Markt in Enschede without eating anything on these days and producing live radio 24 hours a day. This way they want to call attention to the littlest ones: millions of babies need help in order to stay alive. It involves a silent disaster claiming 5.5 million victims worldwide each year as a result of lack of medical care and counselling. They will not eat anything on these days and make live radio and television 24 hours per day; they can also be followed online.

Students and staff members of the University of Twente are also committed to help these babies. By organising playful actions and major activities departments, student houses, student associations, clubs and other enthusiasts hope to raise money for 3FM Serious Request. The University of Twente and the Student Union contribute to these actions by offering a subsidy that can be used to get just that little extra bit of investment to turn your action into a really cool event. The website also describes all the activities being organised by students and staff members of the University of Twente.

Silent Disaster

More than 5.5 million babies die each year within one month after birth or are never born alive in the first place. This makes baby mortality a silent disaster that occurs every 6 seconds. The cause of this is the lack of proper medical care and counselling; clinics or hospitals are often difficult or impossible to reach by pregnant women, young mothers and their babies, or are not equipped to treat young children. Many women do not know how to look after a newborn baby. Simple assistance and counselling can help to fight this silent disaster.

Children’s lives can be saved through assistance and counselling before, during and after childbirth. Antenatal clinic appointments can be initiated and midwives van be trained. Trained volunteers of the Red Cross can make house calls after a baby is born and identify health problems in time and provide care. The Red Cross makes an effort to provide information, hygiene packages, vaccinations and assists in for example transportation to a hospital.