Pair of programs focus on plight of world’s poor

from the Milton Daily Standard

By Andrew Zechman

Children in Mifflinburg and Bucknell students both sought to raise awareness of poverty and world hunger in separate events held this weekend.

In Mifflinburg, students began taking part in a 30-hour famine after lunch on Friday.
On Friday evening, the children slept outside the Mifflinburg Intermediate School in cardboard boxes.

The event was sponsored by “World Vision,” whose goal is to help eradicate world hunger.

“The children are fasting for 30 hours to get a sense as to what certain kids around the world are going through,” said Brian Connolly, the organizer of the event and youth pastor at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mifflinburg.

Each child who took part in the program sought sponsorships and will donate the proceeds to World Vision. That organization will use the money to support education, housing and vaccination projects in Third World countries.

“It really helps to broaden their (the participating youth) prospective of the world, and see that it is larger than just their zip code,” Connolly said. “We are fortunate to have the resources to make a difference in the world.”

The children took part in several activities over the weekend. In one game, they simulated ailments such as blindness and whooping cough which may come about as the result of a disease that is spread in poorer countries.

The children also learned the devastating impact of mosquitoes in spreading diseases. In “Mosquito Menace,” designated mosquitoes were given stickers and tagged kids placed stickers on their foreheads and became mosquitoes.

At the end of the game, an envelope containing one of the colors was opened and if you had that color, you had received malaria as a result of your bite.

“I really like all the games we have been playing and getting to know people better,” said Kyle Pletcher, 11.

Jennifer Galer, 12, said the event was very informative.
“I think it is important that we are actually getting to see how people in other parts of the world live,” she said.

Megan Mensch, 11, said this weekend’s program made her realize how lucky she is.
“I think we take for granted the little things we have,” Mensch said, adding that they have been doing so many activities that she didn’t really have time to think about being hungry.

At Bucknell Sunday afternoon, Students for Fair Trade were out building shelters that they plan to live in until 5 p.m. Wednesday.

The group was building three different shelters, one for food and two to live in.
The students plan to eat nothing but rice and beans until they are done with the poverty demonstration and each person is limited to $1 a day, said Smik Lakhani, a freshman from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

“We are just hoping to promote some awareness as to the conditions that people in certain parts of the world are forced to live in,” Lakhani said. “Our group has been doing this for three years now.”

The event has already made Alex Ufier of New London, more aware of how fortunate he is to live in the United States.

“It really gives you a greater appreciation for the luxuries we can take for granted in our everyday lives that cannot be found in Third World countries,” Ufier said.