SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, MAY 21, 2001: More than 400,000 Australians took part in a nationwide fast lasting 40 hours. World Vision, an Australia-based Christian body, organized the “40-Hour Famine,” to raise funds for bonded child workers in India and other deprived people the world over. According to World Vision, the objective of the fast was to “help to secure the right to adequate levels of food for populations facing starvation and help them guard against future tragedies.” The organization is particularly concerned with the children in India who are in bonded labor and often work under harsh conditions from early morning to late evening. Part of the estimated Australian $6 million raised from the fast will be used to buy the freedom of many bonded children. Funds will also be used to clear land mines in Cambodia and provide food and healthcare for deprived children in many parts of the world.
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