World Vision’s 12-Hour Famine launched its pilot Do-It-Yourself (DIY) program with a local Christian school in Baguio City. Students, teachers, school admin and young professionals voluntarily went without solid food for a day on Nov 27. Through different activities, they experienced and learned the harsh realities of hunger and poverty affecting the children of our nation.
High school students create a banner for their group as part of the activities during the first 12-Hour Famine DIY held in Baguio City.
“I’m blessed to be a part of this. The Gallery Walk was my favourite part. I got to realize the truths and the problems that exist here and around the world. I saw that we are blessed and that there are so many ways I can help others. I experienced hunger in a different way. It’s very uncomfortable. But feeling this, I want to do something about hunger.” shares Jessica.
Teachers from Benguet State University discuss what to prioritize with their budget of P50 during the Gallery Walk.
The Gallery Walk involved ten stations including activities such as allocating for a week two cups of rice and a bag of mongo for a family of five, comparing the food of the poor and the wealthy, carrying buckets of water around the classroom, budgeting P50 a day and completing Bible verse puzzles.
Other activities throughout the day included walking barefoot with books on their heads, rummaging through the garbage for food stubs, pledging to help the hungry children, writing their wishes and dreams for the hungry children and a party-like countdown with live music from a school band.
Twelve year old JR shares, “My wish is that more people would realize that poverty and hunger are serious issues that we all need to lend a hand. I wish that more multi-millionaires and billionaires would take part and help those who are experiencing hardships right now. I wish that those children in poverty would always know that God is always with them.”
Prior to the event, a teacher from the host school challenged the participating students to start raising funds for the children, families and communities of World Vision. Groups began throughout the week using various methods from solicitation to charging P5 for every perfect score in a spelling quiz. The group that raised the most amount among the three groups used “the dare challenge”. This ranged from dares to touching a string hanging from the ceiling to not speaking for a day.
Sibley shares, “I was dared not to talk for a day. For me, this is really hard but I did it because I know it will help others. We got P200 just from that.”
Total funds collected from registration, student fundraising, and donors amounted to over 49 thousand pesos.
Students celebrated the last ten seconds of their 12-hour fast learning the truths about hunger and poverty in the nation and pledging to raise funds to feed hungry children.
As part of World Vision’s 12-Hour Famine last Nov 6 that gathered over a thousand young people, this 12-Hour Famine Do-It-Yourself (DIY) is the first in the nation and sets the example for more schools, churches, youth groups, student organizations and even parents to join the fight against hunger and poverty. If you would like to host your own 12-Hour Famine DIY in your church, school, or student org feel free to contact us at dorothy_mae_albiento@wvi.org or call (02) 374-7618-28 loc 224.
