HSG students raise money for education in emerging countries

The picture shows a charity run organised by SPF 2024 in St. Gallen.

‘We have had privileged access to education in our lives, so we want to give something back,‘ says HSG student Laura Müller. She is president of the Students’ Philanthropic Foundation (SPF) St.Gallen. This is one of around 140 associations run by HSG students. The 15 SPF members at HSG organise several events each semester. Their goal is to raise money for education and health projects in emerging countries.

SPF is active worldwide

These projects are selected by the international SPF umbrella organisation. SPF St.Gallen is one of 20 SPF branches worldwide and was founded at HSG in 2020.

Among the projects currently supported is a vocational training programme for young women and men in rural Nepal. There, they learn skills such as computer literacy and improve their English language skills. Another ongoing project in Ecuador helps young people with financing and training to start small businesses. The aim is to combat high youth unemployment in the South American country.

HSG clubs support each other

The HSG students behind SPF St.Gallen organised a charity run in the Drei Weieren recreational area near St.Gallen in 2024. Social events and a Christmas gift sale during Advent are also part of the SPF's activities. Before Easter, the SPF organised an Easter Bunny campaign, where HSG students could give each other chocolate Easter bunnies. All proceeds from the sale of the bunnies went to current aid projects in Nepal and Ecuador.

‘These campaigns raise several thousand Swiss francs per semester,’ says SPF St.Gallen President Laura Müller. She and the other association members invest three to four hours of volunteer work in their association every week.
Once a month, the international volunteers from SPF – there are branches in Germany, Italy, Spain, England and the USA, for example – meet for a digital meeting. ‘This creates a global community that supports each other,’ says Müller. There is also a strong community among the associations at HSG. ‘We help each other out with events and can use rooms or other infrastructure from other associations free of charge or at reduced prices, for example.’