In addition to the many activities associated with the celebration of the 105th anniversary of the founding of Masaryk University, from 3 to 8 April 2024, students of the Faculty of Medicine added a project aimed at supporting homeless people. Food collections were held at all faculties of the university. The goal was to collect symbolically at least 105 kg.
The medical students were highly motivated to help people in need. Students from the International General Medical Students Association IFMSA set up a collection called 105 kg of food to reach out to students and staff across the university and donate the food to the homeless. They reached out to 38 student volunteers in the faculties who made the collection run smoothly.
One of the central ideas of the project was the motive of the faculties joining forces to help people in need. Thanks to the kind cooperation and support, the collection took place at a total of 9 faculties of Masaryk University, namely: Faculty of Law, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Economics and Administration, Faculty of Social Studies and Faculty of Sports Studies. "The collection took place in public and busy places of each faculty at specific times and days that the faculties kindly provided us with," says Jozef Diškanec, one of the event coordinators.
Over four working days, the students managed to collect 242.2 kg of food, more than double the originally intended weight. The food has already been handed over to the Saint Egidio community, which has been helping homeless people in Brno for a long time. The food will be carefully stored and distributed to those in need.
The event was under the auspices of the Rector of Masaryk University Prof. MUDr. Martin Bareš, PhD and the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Prof. MUDr. Martin Repko, PhD.
"On behalf of the entire organizing team, we would like to thank the representatives of each of them for their helpful approach, the medical faculty for their long-term support and the volunteers for their commitment, without which the fundraiser would not have been possible. And thank you to everyone who contributed any amount of food," concludes the evaluation of the food collection Jozef Diškanec, adding that this project could be repeated.
Dr. Jana Djakow and Associate Professor Martina Kosinová from the Department of Simulation Medicine at Masaryk University Faculty of Medicine were the first women in the Czech Republic to receive degrees from international professional societies in the field of resuscitation and anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine, respectively.
At the beginning of November, six graduates of the Faculty of Medicine received the Masaryk University Vice-Rector's Award for Excellence in Doctoral Studies.
