Apparently, she had heard that some parts of the country had poor sanitation. Of course the rumour proved false.

She did more than shake hands with the locals. She hugged and played with children, sang to them as well as gave them sweets and tidbits.

But she was careful with them, since she had been sick just before the trip.

'I don't want to put them at risk by passing my germs around, especially since HIV-infected people's immune systems are weak. I do not want to be the cause of further health complications for them,' she said.

A-mei, 36, also visited several self-help and women groups, a school, three villages and the slums to better understand the crippling conditions the poor face on a daily basis.

'Hopefully, I can put whatever influence I have to good use,' she said. 'I hope I can move people to act on these problems as best as they can.'

She was in New Delhi last week from Monday to Thursday as part of this year's 30 Hour Famine event organised by World Vision, a Christian relief and development organisation.

Read the full report in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times' LIFE!.