When I was in Ethiopia, I went on an amazing journey, a journey that made me feel happy, angry, upset, excited, frustrated but most importantly inspired. 

Not only did it open my eyes to extreme poverty, it also did something magical, it helped me understand the powerful position Australians are in when it comes to fighting poverty.

The day I met Burtukan, I couldn’t help but empathise with her. At eight years old, I personally couldn’t imagine living the life she has lived. This is why I was so confused when the only emotion I got from her was happiness, pure and utter happiness. 

Her smile lit up when she asked me to visit her village’s water pump. She strapped a bucket to her back and off we went. She grabbed my hand and led the way. Within minutes we were there. I am sure you’re thinking, "yeah… so what?" But something that may seem so insignificant to us has saved the lives of many in this village. 

Now once again, you might be thinking how could a simple water pump have this much impact? 

Well, without this facility Burtukan would be exposed to dirty water, water that contains parasites, which would lead to fatal illnesses. Without this facility, Burtukan wouldn’t have the opportunity to go to school as often as she does, because children who are expected to collect water for their family have to walk hours on end to find any source. 

So a simple water pump made that much of a difference to the lives of hundreds in this community. 

Could you imagine the difference we could make to their lives with more sustainable projects like education programs, hospitals and agricultural education? 

By doing this year’s 40 Hour Famine you are not only donating funds you have raised, you are standing up for those can’t always stand up for themselves. 

So I ask you, what is your vision for the world? I envisage a world where there is no poverty, where everybody is given the right to a life. Where everybody has the right to basic necessities such as food, water, shelter and education. 

The solution is in our hands to end poverty, so who’s going to stand with us and do the 40 Hour Famine? 

I was born in Australia, a place where education is a given, food is a given, clean water…well, it’s everywhere! It comes from our taps in the kitchen, bathrooms and even our fridges! But hey, I have never thought twice of these privileges, I’ve always had access to it, so really, it never dawned on me how lucky I was. That was until I met people who were forced to go without. 

Now I want you to imagine the same, I want you to imagine you were born into poverty. Just imagine if your fate changed and you weren’t born in Australia, instead you were born in Ethiopia. Things you once took for granted have disappeared.

If you’re among Ethiopia’s poor, you might not have been born in a hospital, instead your mother had you at home on a dirt floor. When you're ill, you can’t go to the hospital, instead you soldier on, praying for survival. Your height may have been stunted due to malnutrition. 

You never had the chance for a real childhood, so no, you didn’t go to the beach or play with your race cars and Barbie and Ken. Instead, you were forced to stay home, helping Mum around the house or Dad on the farm. This means, most of the time, school goes unattended. You are living in a one bedroom, mud house. 

So no, you don’t have Facebook. But how about we take it a step further, and just forget about electricity all together! What? No electricity? Yes, but who cares about electricity when you don’t have clean water and you’re starving? 

My journey to Ethiopia highlighted the extent of difficulties families go through when they’re living in poverty. Everyone’s initial thought in a modern society is that people living in poverty “don’t have enough food” which is true, yet they can also face deadly diseases from unclean water, some are subject to HIV, child labour and sexual exploitation. A lack of education can mean there’s no way to get a job, and therefore no way of breaking the cycle of poverty. 

When I think about these issues, not one resonates with me here in Australia. If they did, I would be rushed to hospital, receive support from the government or be protected by a police authority. 

But now when I look back on my journey to Ethiopia, it frightens me to understand that this is the life many people are living. It took me a while to comprehend why these children had to suffer through these circumstances, and the only conclusion I could come to was that they were born in a misfortunate position. Today, as I am writing this, I know that some of the friends I made on this journey are yet to escape poverty. 

Together we have the power to take notice of the constant cries for help and provide these families with the same opportunities we’re lucky enough to have. Why don’t we all stand together, do the 40 Hour Famine and fight against poverty!