Hera Lee's 40 hour challenge!
One day, you walk into your backyard to tend to your veggie garden, only to discover that everything has been eroded and washed away by briny seawater, which was slowly getting soaked up by the soil, rendering it infertile and unusable. Your veggies are all gone, and they definitely won’t grow back for a long time due to the tainted soils…. What else can you eat? Your neighbours are all clearly facing the same problem, it’s not like their crops didn’t get washed away. You’re only left with one choice—move inland for a fresh start. Years go by and every so often, you’d face the same situation… again… and again… and AGAIN.
How would you feel if you were displaced in your own home, watching helplessly as the shores got higher and higher and the land got smaller and smaller? Amidst of it all, children like Polyne are forced to suffer the consequences of climate change. Of all 1700 children that die under the age of 5 in the Pacific, 80% of them die before their first birthdays*. Many of these deaths are due to malnutrition and shouldn’t even be happening in the first place, all people deserve a stable source of food. This year, I decided to take part in the 40 hour challenge to raise funds for kids like Polyne—with my friend, Divya, to combat climate related hunger and other issues in the Pacific.
I’ll be attempting to raise $500 first (this is due to change). The idea of this challenge is that I will be outside for 40 hours without being let into the house. Here is the list of rules I have to follow for my 40 hour challenge:
Devices- None (no exceptions)
Transport- Physical means of transport (walking, biking, etc…)
Drinks- Only water (4L)
Food- 2 hardtack/ship biscuits (basically bricks of dough that last forever), a can of soup.
Clothing- 7 garments
Communication- I’ll only get to communicate with people face to face because I’m not allowed to be on my phone. I’ll also have to be independent (besides being with Divya)
Shelter- I’ll be sharing a tent and I will bring my own sleeping bag
Hygiene- Brushing teeth only (2 mins)
Alongside my friend, I will also attempt to raise a minimum of $40 by doing a bake sale which will go towards my money raised. As a personal goal, I will pick up at least 40 pieces of rubbish in 40 hours, though I plan to exceed that goal.
Your help means the world to people—even if you can’t donate much or anything at all, every cent and meaningful action towards this cause counts. We are so excited about what we can achieve together for these children!
*UNICEF report (10/6/24)Hera Lee, St Margaret’s College
