Share your stories
Share your ideas, tips and gossip from the 40 Hour Famine: 2009! Talk about the issues and compare notes about how you're helping hungry kids affected by the Global Food Crisis.
Have you got a story to tell?
Drop us a line via our contact form, or on our
MySpace, Bebo, Facebook pages. Tweet us on Twitter or chat in the Blender forum.
Download 'Hints and Tips for DIY 40 Hour Famine Media' and use the 40 Hour Famine media release template (so you have all the right info) and go one step further and share your 40 Hour Famine story with your local newspaper or radio station.
Mute students a dream come true for teachers at Woodcroft College in South Australia
Woodcroft College threw themselves into this year’s 40 Hour Famine with a huge sausage sizzle, wacky hair day and casual clothes day. “We had a class of year 9 students who went 40 hours without talking – a dream come true for their teachers!” Amy from the college told us. They have had money tins around the school, at their school concerts and musical to raise more funds too.
Philip gets ‘bold and eccentric’ for the Famine, NSW
When preparing for this year’s 40 Hour Famine, Philip wondered what was important to him: “My friends, my social life and my education.” As a result, Philip decided to give up talking and furniture. So, for the 40 busiest hours of his week (including 9 hours of uni classes and 4 hours of meetings) he sat & slept silently on the floor and steps. Many laughed, some applauded others were curious about the ‘guy with the sign’ Sydney Uni.
Read about Philip's experiences on Facebook
Bacchus Marsh Grammar in Vic rock the Famine
The performance starts off with a city scene, where people bustle around going about their daily business until a brochure on the 40 Hour Famine is given to a young person. She reads through it and learns about the issue of poverty, as faceless victims of poverty dance across the stage looking for food. Back at school, the next scene shows students spreading the word to their classmates and momentum builds and donations are collected. As time ticks on, hunger pains set in (to the sounds of 'Food Glorious Food!'), until eventually the Famine is completed successfully and a massive cheque is presented to a World Vision staff member!
These amazing students picked up 3 awards, the School Initiative Award at the 'Raw Division' before moving on the finals. The Judges and Eisteddfod MC spoke of just how impacting the performance was (the MC was reduced to tears!)
Coolum State High School, QLD, spreads the Famine Fever
The Coolum State High School Vision Group on the Sunshine Coast spread the famine fever to all corners of their school with a 'White Faces' day. The day was jam packed with interactive workshops focused on the Global Food Crisis, a bbq and face painting. Vision Group members even dressed up like the band ‘Kiss’ to ‘Kiss Poverty Goodbye’. Awesome!
Upwey students mime to highlight the voiceless
Upwey Vision Group kicked off their 40 Hour Famine by putting a spotlight on the Global Food Crisis and the millions of people who remain voiceless in society by spending a whole day in silence.
Dressed in black and white, with painted faces and cardboard signs draped over them, they stood strong in their school despite a very mixed response from fellow students.
They broke their silent protest briefly at lunchtime to explain to staff and students their motives and received a standing ovation for their passion.
The 40 Hour Famine weekend starts at 8pm on Friday 21 August and finishes at noon on Sunday 23 August. But if you can't do it that weekend it's fine to choose another date before 30 September.
What have you given up?
The 40 Hour Famine is not just about giving up food. Choose to go without something that really matters to you and experience what it's like to really go without. You could try a....
- Food Famine - No food for 40 Hours (8 hours if you're at Primary School)
- Technology Famine - Turn off your phone, your TV, radio, computer, ipod, playstation.... everything electronic for 40 hours - it's harder than you'd think
- Furniture Famine - Go without furniture for 40 hours.... yes, that means, no bed, no chairs, no tables - eat and sleep on the floor
- Working Weekend - Do household chores all weekend for no pay or pocket money and with no time to play
- Get creative, come up with your own ideas and share them with your Group Leader, try 'no talking' - learn the hard way what's it like to live without a 'voice'....for 40 hours
For more information on how to do a 40 Hour Famine, check out our resources section.
