Starve for a good cause.

Hihi. ^^

I know I haven't blogged for a few days.

I actually wanted to blog on Thursday night before I go for camp.

However, by the time I finished packing my bag I was already very tired.

So, on 17th June 2011, Thursday morning, I reported for registration with Rachel, Sylvia, Xue Ming, Jue Li, Li Ting.

After registration, changing, bag deposit, we went for brunch at Makan place.

I was quite excited for the camp. :)

After that we gathered at Convention Centre for the opening ceremony. 

The Mongolian girl's singing was so sweet! 

Awesome!

Then we went to look for our group.

I was with Laos, Family group Dara.

We had something like a role-playing game.

Really fun.

 This is tied to my wrist with cable tie. My IC. :)

Dara is my family group, we are suppose to be people from Laos.

We need to work and earn money for vaccination, education, energy (the yellow bars on the card), food and water.

So we split up to do different jobs.

Some went to sewing factories, while some with lesser energy go and top up on energy.

After we had energy we tried to do farming.

Terrible job.

We were given a cup of beans, red beans and yellow beans mixed together.

We were to sort them into 2 cups.

Under the scorching sun, trying to do this impossible job, and we only earn $6 each.

Children only earn $2, because it was child labour.

So we got to experience the lives for farmers, tiring job but very little pay.

Then we took the money we earned to try fishing.

Fishing was a better job, though I couldn't fish any. :/

We were on the second floor and given bamboo poles with rafia strings and s-hooks attached.

There are plastic bags with values labeled on them on the first floor.

We were suppose to hook them up and be paid the value.

My teammates (the guys) earned a total of $40.

After which we saw someone holding a poster that says "Easy Money". 

So one of my teammates took a risk and tried.

It was organ selling.

He lost both his eyes for some money, I don't know how much but I think quite a lot.

And with illegally procedure and the not sterilized equipments, he got Aids.

People with Aids wore a card that's pinned on the shirt, which says, "I have Aids".

People with Aids are not allowed most jobs unless they get a work permit.

I don't know how to get one. :/

After that we tried drug smuggling in the game.

We are to bring ice-cream sticks (just a representation) to the other side of the school to look for a guy and get the packet from him.

What he gave us look like sugar. :/ 

By the way, while smuggling we were suppose to hide from the "police".

So, we earned $20 each for doing that.

That was how corrupted these third world countries were. 

To make their lives better people had to resort to doing illegal stuff.

恶性循环(vicious cycle), seriously

Then we went to the hospital to get vaccinated.

We had to get the most expensive ones to be safe.

We asked all the booth for price.

Some were $4, $6 and $8 per person.

We got the $8 vaccine for everyone.

If people choose to have the cheaper vaccine, they have a high chance of getting Aids.

Because the needles might be reused to save cost.

Imagine a family of farmers.

They earn so little, they don't even have enough to pay for vaccine.

If they dont get vaccinated, they fall sick and have diseases easily.

If they choose to have cheap vaccines they will get Aids easily.

Survival is so challenging for them.

After the game ended we went to the convention centre for pledging.

After that we gathered at home base with all the Laos people.

We tried to play roles of children in third world country.

We acted as shoeshine boys/girls, what children often work as.

We take turns and cleaned shoes for our partner.

My arms and legs were aching after 7 minutes of cleaning and squating.

Then we reenacted the scene of children who believed in strangers who said to give them better paying jobs.

They were all abducted and trafficked to other countries.

We were all blindfolded, hands crossed and tied with cable tie. 

We were then being lead to walk around and squat somewhere.

All of us we gathered and taped together with masking tape. (I don't know how to explain the scene.)

All I felt was like I was kidnapped and so helpless.

We then went to collect our bags and gathered back for debrief.

I was starting to feel really unwell.

Actually I had terrible headache the whole time, I thought it would go away but it only got worse.

I tried to rest a bit while the rest we debriefing.

Then I see everything around me spinning, my head pounding and I feel very nauseatic.

I don't think I can last through the night, don't even mention the next day.

So I decided to go home.

It's so wasted.

They are all going to Orchard Road the next day.

And surprisingly I wasn't hungry at all.

The activities distracted my attention and they gave us some sweet drinks. :)

Anyway, Honey, Aunty and Jamie came and sent me home.

I had some porridge mummy made and panadol and went to sleep.

So that was my experience at 30-hour Famine Camp 2011.

Though I did not complete it but I am still glad I went through part of it.

Enjoyed myself. :)

Good Luck to campers, who are still fasting, few more hours to go!

FAST FOR A BETTER WORLD!

With Love, 

AngelaGiselle