Last week it was reported that an anonymous Faroese business had donated the equivalent amount of the “large sum” of cash to a group of French students and their teachers who had parted with all of their travel money a few days earlier. Subsequently, the donor has been named—OC Joensen, a scallop and crab fishing company based at Oyri, Eysturoy.
The story of the French group’s misfortune had been shared widely with businesses, municipalities and local residents helping to enable the visiting group to stick to their original travel plans. Hanna Jensen, Honorary Consul of France, said that the 18 students and their two teachers were “deeply touched” by the hospitality and generosity they received.
“Early on Tuesday morning [February 28th], after KvF called me to inquire more about the matter, the CEO of OC Joensen, Hans Andrias Kelduberg, made contact and asked a few questions before stating that he had decided to help the traveling students and give them a sum equivalent to the one they lost,” Mrs. Jensen said in a public statement, in particular praising OC Joensen for their special donation while also mentioning others who had helped salvage the situation.
“It was, quite frankly, an indescribable relief to everyone—including those thousands of people around the country who sympathized with these young people who had ended up in this situation,” Mrs. Jensen noted.
According to Mr. Kelduberg, OC Joensen has for over 50 years had an important customer base in France buying the majority of the company’s production of queen scallops. He said it was in honor of this relationship that he had reached out to the students on behalf of the company as well more generally to help giving them a positive impression of the Faroes.
The exact sum of money donated, meanwhile, was not disclosed.
