In a world of excess, where half the food we buy away is thrown away and half that is grown feeds livestock, millions of people live in chronic hunger. I have often thought, whilst sat drinking my coffee, that I’ve just spent on a couple of hot drinks what some people have to live on a week (including health costs etc). So with time being my closest friend at the moment, I am getting on with trying to live below the line.
I’m late but better late than never they say. I get $10 Australian (or about five of your English pounds) to go shopping and eat for five days.
According to the Oxford dictionary: Hunger is a term which has three meanings (Oxford English Dictionary 1971)
- the uneasy or painful sensation caused by want of food; craving appetite. Also the exhausted condition caused by want of food
- the want or scarcity of food in a country
- a strong desire or craving
Of these three definitions, I will not want for the scarcity of food in Melbourne but may face exhaustion or cravings. Initially I will be doing this for five days but may increase the duration as the end approaches. I have the luxury of being able to go back to my life where excess is the norm for most of us, but for over 1 billion people, that is a dream beyond their comprehension.
I went to a popular local supermarket and bought the following:
- Bread
- Rice – 1kg
- Oats – 900g
- Banana
- Cannellini beans – 1 tin
- Unsalted butter
For a total of $9.60. I will try to upload a daily video and blog, you’ll be able to follow the video on my YouTube channel. A lot of people do this challenge to raise money for poverty awareness, I do not have an account for that but if you would like to support the below the line projects then you could sponsor someone who has recently completed their below the line fundraiser on the link provided here.
For more info on below the line events see the links below.
https://www.livebelowtheline.com/uk/the_cause
http://www.thehungerproject.co.uk/getinvolved/live-below-the-line/
Red Pill Medium 