Community / Joy ‘overwhelmed’ by incredible fundraising response as she heads for Cuba
“IT JUST goes to show that there is good in the world”.
Fundraiser Joy Duncan has been “overwhelmed” by the incredible response to her campaign to raise funds and essential goods for the struggling people of Cuba.
She is on her way to London currently, with her distinct orange Volkswagen van stacked full with 22 suitcases.
Duncan and her cousin Eirene Houston, a documentary filmmaker who has curated the Havana-Glasgow film festival for the last 10 years, will spend two weeks distributing donations to the Cuban people “as far and wide” as they can.
And in just three weeks, the people of Shetland have helped raised almost £11,000 to go towards buying more essentials – including potentially solar panels – for Cuba.
Duncan told Shetland News they had “met all of our targets” and were stunned by the rapid response from locals.
“I’m just very overwhelmed and a bit emotional,” she said.
“Shetland responded really well, it was a tremendous response.
“All kinds of folk have turned up at my door with donations. It just goes to show that there is good in the world”.
The pair can still take cash donations up to 30 March, with the aim to buy either small domestic solar panels or a larger ones for buildings like hospitals when they get out there.
Duncan and Houston launched the For Da Love o Da Isles campaign after a harrowing visit to Cuba in January.
Oil supplies from Venezuela to Cuba were seized at the turn of the year, before President Donald Trump announced further tariffs on any country selling oil to Cuba.
“What I saw unfold in front of my own eyes was a country enter into an even deeper economic collapse and a humanitarian crisis,” Duncan said in February.
In 35 years of visiting the island she had never seen its people “in so much suffering”, she added.
“With no fuel coming in the whole infrastructure suffered, lack of electricity, medication, food supplies,” Duncan said.
Duncan asked for cash donations when she launched the campaign, but said she was unable to set up a traditional fundraising page.
“We couldn’t do a JustGiving page because if they see it’s for Cuba they take the money off you,” she said.
“Instead folk have trusted me and sent money to my bank account.
“That’s been really moving and really encouraging. I want to give a big thank you to everyone who donated.
“We did this all in three weeks.”
Money flooded in from countries as far-flung as Zanzibar, Italy, France and Germany, with listeners to Duncan’s BBC Radio Shetland show getting in touch to donate.
They will fly out to Cuba next Tuesday, and will spend a fortnight spreading donations of essential food and hygiene items to people in the country.
Monetary donations can still be sent to this link, up until Monday 30 March.
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