Cairnlea’s Jess Arnott gave up food, talking, water, her sight,
the internet and freedom for nine hours last month to raise funds for charity.
Wanting to do something different for this year’s 40 Hour Famine,
the 18-year-old locked herself in a 1.5 by 2-metre cage at Federation
Square on August 31.
“I wanted to give up something that was integral to Western civilisation, so freedom it was,” Jess said.
After starting her charity effort at 8am, the RMIT social work and psychology student upped the stakes by taping her mouth an hour later.
Passersby could donate to grant her a freedom or take a freedom
away, which meant Jess didn’t get a toilet break until she had raised
$200.
“I finally got a toilet break at 4pm,” she said.
“The plan was to not drink at all but it was 26 degrees that day, so I had a bit of water. I didn’t eat all day though.”
Jess also wore a blindfold from 11am until 5pm.
“It was a weird experience,” she said. “I could hear voices and
money being handled, but I wasn’t sure if it was a stranger donating, or
just one of my friends. I didn’t know if I should be thanking somebody
or not.”
Jess, who raised more than $1000, said she found going without her sight the hardest liberty to give up.
“I’d rather be speechless, I probably value my sight more than my voice,” she said.
“Next year I want to do it for longer, and find a different location.”
» To donate, visit worldvision.com.au/40HF/ProfilePage.aspx?preferredurl=JArnott
