22nd and 23rd August were days of 30 Hour Famine 2009. This was my first time taking part in this worldwide event. Seriously, i was quite excited yet nervous awaiting this event day.
At first, i was only joined as camper. But my friend, Yen, who is a committee, said that they lack of volunteers and group leaders, therefore, i changed my status from camper to volunteer.
On 22nd, i was supposed to report myself and attend the briefing at 7 a.m., but i had overslept, thus, i was late and reached at 8 a.m. .But then i realized, late better than absent right? You know what? Out of 80 volunteers, there are 32 volunteers who made it there, i think maybe because of AH1N1 influenza. We are so brave to made it there!! Yeah!!
Then we were required to changed the volunteer’s shirt and put on the identity tag.
Besides that, we need to put on flu-mask as well, for safety purpose.
Due to shortage of volunteers, i had to multitasking to accomplished the event’s programmes. I had to standby at the registration to help the campers to register at 10a.m. . Thus, my last meal was McDonald’s breakfast- Sausage Mcmuffin with Egg, hash brown and coffee at 9.30a.m.
It was kinda heat of people coming in. Our DIY camp also completed with all the safety procedures included temperature screnning and sanitizing to prevent any unwanted AH1N1 carriers.
At 12p.m. , there was an icebreaker for all the campers to know each others, at least to know their group members and group leaders. Supposing there were 750 campers that joined our HELP DIY camp, but due to AH1N1 influenza, many campers were absent. Around 350 campers that shown up only on the exact event day.
After the icebreaker, there was an opening ceremony with dance performance and lion dance. Besides that, the Head of HELP Department of Psychology, Dr. Goh, had cut the ribbon to symbolizes the opening of the 30 Hour Famine.
The first Famine Challenge was a game called ‘Slum-star Millionaire’. This is a game which every groups need to fold newspapers into stars and sell it to the star booth. When they out of newspapers, they would have to buy it from newspaper booth. I was helping at the star booth to make sure they queue or lead them to the counters, and also helped to check out the quality of the stars.
There were 3 parts of this game:
First 10 minutes- 10 stars for 1 Rupee
Second 10 minutes- 20 stars for 1 Rupee
Last 10 minutes- 20 stars of 2cm for 1 Rupee
The purpose of this game is to let the campers understand the situation in a poverty country. Although they tried very hard to fold the stars to sell it, but the star shop would reject their stars too. The standard of the stars became higher and higher, but they could only sell it for the same amount.
I remember one scene, which a young girl was holding the stars on her hand and waited for her friend. I walked toward her and asked her to go to the counter and sell the stars. That time was the second part of the games. But she don’t want and said later first. Then suddenly, the game co-ordinator announced that the 20 stars have to fold into 2cm and sell for 1 Rupee. The girl ran to the star counter and said she wants to sell the stars. But we had to rejected her because of the rules. She kept begging us to buy her stars, but we insisted we cannot. She almost burst out of tears and we had to asked our ’security’ to chased her off. Can you imagine this? Do you know why she felt so sad and almost cry? I think this is because she knows the stars that she held was the efforts of her group members, and they need the stars to earn money.
This game is just the reality in present world. Through this game, i hope every campers can understand and be empathy to the poverty countries. Think and see things from their angle.
After the Famine Challenge 1, they had a break and we continued with our Famine Challenge 2, which is named as ‘Refugee Race’.
I was holding 2 positions in this game. One is Emergency Center, the other one is Hospital.
What i need to do in the Emergency center was, i must make sure 10 people came in as 1 family , ask their ‘father’ to write down his name, age and nationality which was given to them. Then they were given materials to built their own house because the country they are living was having disaster that made them became refugees. (of course this was the story outline!)
On the other hand, i was on duty at the Hospital.
The police officers would catch the refugee without vaccination into hospital. Then i need to write down their name, age and nationality as well, and record the time-in and time-out. They were required to stay at hospital for 5 minutes before they could discharged. Ha-ha!
Besides that, in this game, they need to get themselves a job, whether legal or illegal, of course illegal will catch by the police officers and send to jail. They earn the money to get vaccination and food for their family members.
From this game, obviously, the objective is to let the campers experience what is going on when a poverty country having disaster or war that cause them become refugees. Their life is tough and be on tenterhooks. Yet, we live in such a comfortable life, with everything provided to us, instead of appreciate, we complain about life. We should really feel ashamed of ourselves.
At night, we had a mini concert, which included Yun Mee Sim from Project Superstar and her 勉强乐队, Belinda Chee and Gary Yap from 8TV, Sean Lee who beat-box, Eddie from Project Superstar too, An Honest Mistake band, and finally, the HELP Famine committees band.
Everyone was enjoyed and screaming around during the mini concert. After the concert, the campers would allowed to wash-up before go to sleep. Volunteers and committees had a short briefing before we can headed to sleep.
My night was terrible. I brought a sleeping bag, which i borrowed from Leng Jet, my senior. I slept on the stage with Seet, Sok Fen and Hui Yan. I used the sleeping bag as my pillow at first. But the night became colder that i woke up at 1 a.m. something to squeezed myself into the sleeping bag. Then i managed to slept again. Around 4 a.m. , i woke again. This time i woke because my forehead and cheek were bitten by mosquitoes!!! Not one, but many! I felt itchy until i cannot sleep! I was forced to woke up at 5 a.m. 
But anyhow, after i wash-up and changed clothes, i managed to slept for a little while on the theatre chair while waiting for campers to wake up and pack up. After that, we did exercise and an activity called ‘One Heart, One World ’. Campers were given materials such as manila cards, crayon and marker pens to deliver their message to the poverty country through their words and drawings. Everyone seems excited doing that. 
After the activity, we had photo session. We gathered at the little flowery roundabout in front of HELP main entrance, and looked up. You wonder why we looked up? Coz’ our photographers were up there to put us in the frame regarding our huge amount of campers+volunteers+committees. There were 450 of us!!
Then we traveled to Bukit Jalil Stadium for the Famine countdown event.
We had to do screnning as well before get in the stadium.
There were many artists who came to support the 30 Hour Famine. Nicholas, Phoebe, Wai Fun, Jason, Mei Yan from MyFM, Belinda Chee and Gary Yap from 8TV, Francissca Peter, Yise Luo, Zhang Qi Zheng, Denelle Lee, and the ambassador of World Vision, Ah-Mei from Taiwan!!!!! Whoa!!! The countdown event was crowded with almost 7000 participants!!! The total amount of people participating in Famine 2009 is 10,000 plus!Can you imagine the scene was how lively and full of energetic? The cheers can even puncture your eardrums, believe me!
I was too tired and cold,and cause me kept on fell asleep.
Anyway, the most excited moment has come, which was 6 p.m.! The time that we fast 30 hours succesfully and break fast!!!! Hoorray!!!!!!!!! We were given soya bean sponsored by V-soy. We countdown together with all the artists.
3, 2, 1!
The colorful ribbon burst out from the top and everyone toasted each others with the soya bean on hand! Happy break fast! Cheers!
You would never see the happiness on everyone’s faces if you did not join this famine. I am great and proud that i did it by fasting 30 hours!!! (the exact time should be 32 hours coz i had fast since 10 a.m. on 22nd morning!)I will join this 30 Hour Famine next year!
Wait for me! 30 Hour Famine 2010!!
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