Vlogging with ACTNOW...Episode 7: Bean Aid - give a damn, give a can!

My final vlog entry is about Bean Aid, which was held on the 28th and 29th of October. Bean Aid is Curtin uni's "big event" which aims to raise 100,000 cans of beans to raise awareness about the problems of hunger and poor nutrition in the community. My local youth advisory council and I help to line up donated cans of baked beans to attempt to break the Guinness Record of the most number of cans in a line. The cans were donated to WA charity, Foodbank.

In the end the total number of cans collected was 69 157, which still breaks the previous record of 63 877.

Seems a little silly right? Well beans are actually the third most requested food item after break and milk by charities such as Foodbank. Beans are nutritious and have a long shelf life. In many cultures they are an important staple food item.

Bean Aid is also about forging bonds in the community and having fun. I particularly enjoyed the African drummers, perhaps a little more than laying out the cans.

As this is my last vlog entry I hope that I've managed to inspire even the most cynical Communication Studies student and that everyone realises that the Internet is a great resource to get involved in wider issues. Even if you're simply logging onto ActNow and reading about issues or going onto Get Up! and signing petitions. It's little things that can make a difference. Maybe you've taken action before and haven't realised it. Either way, we're all responsible for the greater good of humankind.