A 30-hour fast gave local high school students an opportunity to raise some money for children in Third World countries.
Estevan Comprehensive School students went hungry last Friday and Saturday as they took part in World Vision's annual 30 Hour Famine. The famine is a mainstay fundraiser for students at the school and continued this year with 22 students raising $3,204 for World Vision.
While ECS students have participated in the fundraising for a long time, the social justice club recently took charge of organizing the event. This is the second year for their involvement.
Grade 11 student Brayden Gervais is a member of the social justice club and this is the second year he has taken part in the famine.
He said it's a way to learn about less fortunate children, particularly those in poorer countries, and a great way to meet other students in the school.
"It was a really great time, we did a lot of group and team-building activities," said Gervais. "We talked a lot about the problems in Africa and other Third World countries and how we can solve them. We really learned a lot. It was a great experience."
The students gathered together in the courtyard after school on Friday, after already skipping lunch, they played games and had lots of activities to keep their minds off food. They would go without three more meals. The famine lasted from 8 a.m. on Friday to 2 p.m. Saturday.
There are four categories that can be donated to. Each student identifies where they would like their pledges to go, but because of the ubiquity of the Kony 2012 campaign, which pledges to arrest Joseph Kony over alleged war crimes, a lot of money was going to protecting children.
World Vision came into the school for a presentation earlier this year and talked about raising money for child protection in Africa in an effort to work with the Kony 2012 campaign toward a singular goal.
"We are going to be giving most of our money to safety, so safety of people, shelter, protecting kids from war," added Gervais.
The experience is what's important for him. When the students take part in the famine, it's a group of like-minded youth looking to make a difference somewhere in the world. Gervais said that connection with the other students is part of what the 30-Hour Famine is all about.
"It's all sorts of team-building activities and getting to know people, and bonding over our mutual decision to try and help these kids and help these families in Third World countries."
After participating last year, he and his fellow social justice club members took it upon themselves to get other students involved so they could raise more for the children who need it.
"As a social justice club we got together and decided that those of us who did it last year would definitely come and try to recruit more members, because the more the merrier and the more people we can spread this cause to the better."
One of the ECS teachers who helped organize the event through the social justice club was Ashley Cote, who said everybody was very hungry and ready to eat by the end of the 30th hour.
