Now that the 40 Hour Famine is over, some of you may be wondering how you can keep on helping in the fight against hunger. The great thing is that the 40 Hour Famine is only one of the many different campaigns and programs that World Vision offers. Take a look at all of these amazing things you can be part of:

Vision Generation (VGen): VGen is the youth movement of World Vision and is primarily focused on awareness raising and advocacy. There are two campaigns running at the moment; ‘Don’t Trade Lives’ and ‘Child Health Now’. VGen groups around Australia are helping to bring issues relating to these campaigns to the public eye through getting people to sign petitions, holding fair-trade chocolate stalls or soccer matches using fair-trade soccer balls at their school during break time and even speaking to their local MP’s! Of course, these are only a few examples – VGener’s get to be as creative as they like in helping to spread campaign messages and stand up against poverty! I wrote a blog post a couple of months ago about one of VGen's big public stunts to raise awareness of child and maternal health. You can also take a look at the VGen website!

Child Sponsorship: For just $43 a month you and your family can sponsor a child! I recently decided to sponsor a 4 year old boy from Lesotho. Through my sponsorship, I will be helping to provide his entire community with training in agricultural skills, improved sanitation and access to clean water, education on HIV and AIDS and new school buildings and supplies for children! One day I also hope to visit my sponsor child!

Gifts: How many of you have received something for your birthday or for Christmas that you didn’t really need, or ever use? And how many of you are stuck for ideas on what to buy someone else? How about next time you consider buying something from World Vision’s Gifts catalogue! You can buy chickens, goats, pencils, bags of seeds, mosquito nets, child vitamins or training for indigenous artists! Of course, don’t expect the postman to arrive at your doorstep with a chicken! The way it works is that the money you spend on buying something from the Gifts catalogue will go towards providing or carrying out similar activities in a needy community.

Multiplying Gift Appeal: I get so excited when I talk about The Multiplying Gift Appeal! This a partnership program between World Vision and the United Nations World Food Programme where for every $1.00 donated, it will be multiplied by 10! That means even if you just donate $1.00, you will be providing $10.00 worth of food or other goods to those in need. And if you donate $10.00, it will become $100! This money will provide lifesaving food and relief supplies for hungry families in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.

East Africa Appeal: We have all seen the terrible images of starving families suffering from the drought in East Africa. The World Vision website allows you to quickly and easily make a once off payment to help these people who so desperately need our support in this critical time of need.

But don’t stop there guys! There are heaps more programs and ways in which you can help to stand up and fight against poverty! Jump onto World Vision’s website to find out more, including more information on the above programs!

-Ashlee