Approximately 1 billion people currently experience hunger. According to World Vision International, about 1 in 4 of the world’s children suffer from malnourishment, and about 5 million children will die this year from hunger-related causes.
To be honest, when I first learned about the fast, I was not crazy about it for numerous reasons. Primarily, any given day, I probably spend more time eating than not, and I was not sold on the idea of forgoing food for an entire 30 hours. Additionally, I felt several moral qualms on the matter. Who were we to expect that a mere day-long fast would allow us to empathize with the suffering and turmoil of hunger victims? Watching movies on laptops, drinking clean water, and cozily sitting in our warm beds, we would be surrounded by luxuries and in case of emergency, we would have a kitchen stocked with food. Not to mention, we would begin the fast knowing that in 30 hours we would consume copious amounts of food thus, never suffering through the anxiety of wondering the source of our next meal.
The fast also did not touch me initially on a personal level, as our physical experience of hunger would not resemble the experiences of the hungry in Chaquijyá, where many residents do suffer from chronic hunger. While many of them may only eat one meal a day, they do eat. Our experience would more closely resemble the hunger of victims of natural disasters or war, whose food sources are cut off very suddenly. Like I said, there were numerous reasons, so I was hesitant to believe that the fast would affect my perspectives on working in Chaquijyá.
I am so grateful for the smack-in-face, out-of-the-comfort-zone experience that was the fast. Sometimes I need a shock to my system to make me open my eyes and see the world around me more clearly.
Peace, Ginny
Hello, I was wondering if someone could let me know when this fast is happening, what are the participants expected to do and how can we get more information about it?
ReplyDeleteHello, Denise! Thanks for your interest. The fast is happening on August 17-19 this year, and you can find more information about it here: http://www.worldvision.com.au/OurWork/Solutions/40HourFamine.aspx
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