Fasting for AIDS awareness

NST: It is all for a good cause. Some 40 students in two schools here today began a 30-hour fast to raise funds for HIV/AIDS education programmes.
Themed "The Power of Hunger", the social education-cum-fund-raising event is organised annually by World Vision Malaysia (WVM), an international humanitarian and relief organisation.
The event allows participants to experience in a small way what millions of people who are victims of war, poverty and natural catastrophes go through worldwide.
This year’s 30-hour fast focuses on HIV/AIDS.
The students are from the Methodist Boys School in Jalan Air Hitam and Uplands, an international school, in Persiaran Gurney.
During the fast, the participants will broaden their understanding of HIV/AIDS and the people living with the disease through presentations, question and answer sessions, and games.
Funds raised will be channelled to HIV education programmes for children and adults in Hebei, China, and local HIV/AIDS organisations through the Malaysia AIDS Council and Dignity and Services, an organisation that helps people with learning disabilities.
This is the first time the event is held simultaneously in Penang and Kuala Lumpur. The participants will go without solid food and are only allowed to drink plain water from noon today until 6pm tomorrow.
WVM international programme director Goh Po Ean said the main aim of the fast was education and advocacy. "We pass on the message that fasting can be used as a catalyst to bring about social changes.
"By volunteering to raise funds via fasting, participants get a glimpse of how their act of self-sacrifice can help those in need."
So far, they have managed to raise over RM2,000.
Jonathan Case, 16, from Uplands, said this was the first time he was going on a 30-hour fast. "I thought this is a good cause as it instils a lot of discipline," said the Sixth former of Canadian-Chinese parentage.
For American Chris Voss, 15, also from Uplands, it was an exciting experience. "While we are grateful for the many things we have, we should also be mindful of the sufferings of others in the world."