Day 30: The penultimate day

Day 30: Saturday 2nd Feb

Saturday's menu:

Breakfast: Porridge, water and sugar.
Lunch: Cup a soup
Dinner: Rice and mixed vegetables.

Enjoying a sneaky cup a soup

The penultimate day. I'm counting down the the hours now. I have been in London the past few days and so have had to plan every meal and lug tupperwares of food around in my bag.  I this didn't find this as hard as I had done when staying at my friends the other week. I am not sure why that was, maybe I have just become more accustomed to this routine.

I spent the day with my friend exploring the capital and moving from coffee shop to coffee shop. I grabbed my usual free hot water in each one and once cheekily added a cup a soup sachet so I could eat lunch on the go. My friend and I had booked to go and see the Matilda musical. We arrived a bit early and so were exploring the local area when I spotted a 'Wholefoods' supermarket. I am an absolute sucker for places like that. Call me weird but I love looking at the different foods available and giving my self inspiration for recipes. I dragged Els into the shop and spent the best part of an hour with running around looking at all the delicious options they had on offer. I don't know why I do things like this to myself, I just wanted to buy the whole shop. They had the most delicious looking bakery section, and the both of us were particularly taken with the meringues the size of my head. Els bought one of these and I have to say it took all my self restraint not to sneak a little bit when she kindly offered me it later on that evening.  Trips to supermarkets remind me how lucky we are to have such variety and such affordable prices at out fingertips.

Tempting myself in 'Wholefoods'

I have to say the most difficult aspect of this challenge has definitely been socialising. I hadn't realised until now just how many social activities have food at the core of them. You rarely do something where buying or being offered food or drink isn't part of the activity. I have felt painfully awkward asking for free water in coffee shops and most of the baristas give me this 'she's cheap' look.  To be fair it is probably a bit cheeky going into a cafe and not actually buying anything, but I will repay the debts when I reinstate my coffee addiction on Monday.

Being so near to the end of the challenge people keep asking me what I am most looking forward to eating. I don't know if I have a particular meal or food but the following is the best answer I can give you... 1) Fresh fruit and vegetables, 2) Being able to eat socially again and 3) meat that isn't from a tin. I have gotten so used to this challenge I think I  am going to find it strange the first time going into a food store and buying what I like.  I can't wait to stop having to ration my food.

This month has taught me how ridiculously blessed we are in the UK to have the resources that we do. I hope that when this month is over I will not forget all that I have learnt and I will continue to be thankful for what I have and endeavour not to waste food.

Day 29: Poverty Doesn't Have to be Overwhelming

Day 29: Friday 1st of Feb 2013

Friday's Menu: 
Breakfast: Porridge with water, frozen fruit and 1 tsp of sugar.
Lunch: Home made soup 
Dinner: Rice and mixed frozen vegetables

Time to get back on track with the challenge. I have three official challenge days left. I can not wait to get this thing finished! I have been at an orientation event for Tearfund over the past 3 days and so was unable to accurately carry out the challenge during this time; simply because I had no idea how much the food I was eating would be costing. As I have mentioned many times, I decided a few weeks ago to add an extra three days on at the end of month. I want to make sure that I complete this to the very best of my ability, and so want to actually spend only £1 a day on food and drink for 31 days. Although the three training days were not officially part of my 31 day challenge I did try my best to eat small portions and avoid the scummy treats that were on offer. It was difficult and I have to say I did listen to the people who said 'don't worry its not an official day' when I tucked into fruit, salad and one brownie, food that I haven't been able to afford all month. It will always annoy me that I couldn't complete the challenge on 31 consecutive days, but I have to move on from this and acknowledge how much I have achieved this month. 

At the Tearfund training this week we spent a lot of time looking at what is poverty and how can this issue be addressed. Here are some new statistics that knocked me for six. 

70% of those living in poverty are women. 

Women work two thirds of the world’s working hours, produce half of the world’s food, but earn only 10% of the world’s income and own less than 1% of the world’s property.

The 2010 Haiti Earthquake killed 230 000 people. The 1989 California earthquake (which was the same magnitude) killed just 63. Those is Haiti didn't have access or the resources to build buildings and infrastructure that would protect them in the event of an earthquake. They didn't have the medical resources to help them treat the injured.

Facts like these can be changed. Steps can be made to ensure that our children don't live in a world where 230000 people die because they don't have access to safe housing.

There is so much injustice in this world it can sometimes feel overwhelming. Poverty is such a massive problem, where do we even start. How can we possibly make a difference. There is no way we could actually see an end to poverty. This is simply not true, but if we all think like that it may become true. Maybe always hearing the negative figures, leads us to think like this. We always focus on those who are still suffering, those who still go to bed hungry, those who still don't have clean water or are victims of rape and violence. We don't ever take the time to look at the differences that have already been made. 

Here are some incredibly inspiring statistics...

In 1981 52% lived in extreme poverty. Now 26% live in extreme poverty.

Between 2002 and 2010 the number of children dying from measles dropped by 78%

22 countries cut their malaria rate in half in just 6 years

We used to say 40,000 children die every day from preventable causes. In the 90's that number dropped to 33000. By 2008 it had dropped to 24000 and by 2010 it had fallen to 21000. We cut that number in half in  a generation. 

Yes these statistics are still un acceptable and yes we need to focus on those who are sell suffering. But, I challenge you to claim now that a difference can not be made. The percentage of people living in extreme poverty has been halved in just 20 years. 26% less people are living in poverty today compared to 20 years ago. We can do that again. We only have 26% to go. Doesn't it seem more manageable when put like this. 

By supporting charities like Tearfund you can do your bit to end the injustice that is poverty. The smallest donation can go a long way. Please sponsor me today by clicking here to be taken straight to my just giving page. Your money will help Tearfund to send volunteers out to people who need our help. Lets do our bit to help them escape the chains of poverty. 

'Where you live shouldn't determine whether you live'.

Bono

Training Day: Enough Food IF - Transparency

Training Day: Tuesday 29th January 2013

Menu:
Breakfast: Porridge, water, frozen fruit and sugar
Lunch: Cup a Soup
Dinner: Unknown

So, today is the first day of my training for Bolivia. I can't carry out the challenge properly over these days as I will be spending the next 3 days at a training base . Whilst I will endeavour to be as true to the challenge as possible I can not confirm the cost of the meals provided at the training. I therefore will not truly be living on £1 a day. I have therefore decided to not count the training days in the challenge but instead add three extra days to the end of the challenge. I will obviously be doing everything  I can to eat as I have been doing this month and not use these days as a respite. 

I still had one more IF to talk about with regards to the Enough IF campaign. This really is a fantastic campaign and I'm really excited about its potential to actually make an impact and push for an end to world hunger. The fourth and final IF the campaign are trying to advocate is this.

Enough Food For Everyone IF governments and big companies are honest about their actions that stop people getting enough food.

Governments and large companies keep secrets from the general public. Unsurprisingly they don't want us to know about the deals they are making that help to keep the poor in a cycle of hunger. Very few governments have transparent budgets. In fact 74 out of 94 countries surveyed in 2010 failed to meet basic standards of transparency and accountability. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for the government to account for its actions, and for us, the public, to see where our money is going. 

Transparency is crucial to ensure that food and nutrition security are actually prioritized. We need stronger laws that force governments and corporations to be open and honest in all their actions relating to the food system, and ensure that resources are used to help poor people. We need to be able to hold our own governments accountable.

If our government makes a stand on the four big issues I have discussed over the past few days, 2013 could mark the beginning of the end of world hunger. We need as many voices as possible to tell our leaders we no longer accept 'IF' when it comes to making hunger history. Sign the petition today and make your voice heard.

“We need to solve the underlying issues of famine and hunger once and for all. People are denied access to land that could produce food. Parents work tirelessly, but still can’t afford to feed their children. It’s unfair, it’s unjust and the truth is – it’s totally preventable. With enough people behind this campaign, we can make world leaders listen. 2013 can be the year we change the future by making this the beginning of the end of world hunger. It takes people coming together on a large scale demanding change to make this happen. IF you believe that everyone can and should have enough food to live, please join us.” 

- Angélique Kidjo  -   

Day 28: Enough Food IF - Land

Day 28: Monday 28th January 2013

Monday's Menu: 
Breakfast: Porridge with water, frozen fruit and sugar
Lunch: Homemade Soup
Dinner: Small Portion of Curry and Rice

This month has really opened my eyes to how blind I have been to the suffering of millions across the globe. Hunger and malnutrition in childhood will trap almost a billion young people in poverty by 2025. It is estimated that malnutrition will cost developing countries an annual $125 billion (£78 billion) in lost economic output by 2030. This is not ok. Great strides have been made in reducing poverty and 14,000 fewer children are dying each day than in 1990. But hunger is threatening to reverse these achievements. Hardworking poor farmers, especially women and their children, vulnerable and ordinary people everywhere face the highest food prices in a generation. 

‘Enough Food for Everyone IF’ is the largest coalition of its kind in the UK since Make Poverty History in 2005. It calls on Prime Minister David Cameron to use this year's UK’s G8 presidency to take action on the root causes of the hunger crisis. The ‘IF’ movement challenges the Prime Minister to tackle 4 big IFs to help there be enough food for everyone. Over the past few days I have touched on these big IFs. Today I am going to talk about Land... 

Enough Food For Everyone IF we stop poor farmers being forced off their land, and we grow crops for food, not fuel.

Some of the world's poorest farmers are loosing their land to large companies who don't seem to care that the land is being used by local people to grow food. Small scale farmers do not have formal access to, or control over,  the natural resources they need to produce food and secure their livelihoods. Land grabs are being facilitated behind the scenes by investment banks and the World Bank. Not only this but land is increasingly being used by these companies to grow fuel for cars and not food. This needs to be stopped. Stopping this could stop millions of people from going hungry. 

Do your bit to fight hunger today and be part of something big, sign the online petition today. .

Day 27: Enough Food IF - Tax

Day 27: Sunday 27th January 2013

Sunday's Menu: 
Breakfast: Porridge with water, sugar and frozen fruit.
Lunch: Home made Soup
Dinner: Portion of Sausage Casserole (No rice or potato)

The more I look into it the more excited I am getting about the Enough Food IF campaign. This is our chance to make a stand and begin the journey towards the end of world hunger. Today I am going to talk about the second big issue the campaign is attempting to get the governments to address; Tax. 

Enough Food For Everyone IF governments stop big companies dodging tax in poor countries, so millions of people can free themselves from hunger.

Developing countries often lack the resources to finance the start up of innovative solutions aimed to combat hunger and establish food security within their country. They don't have the money to finance their own development and so sadly are dependant on aid. This doesn't have to be the case. Developing countries lose millions of pounds every day as a result of tax dodging. Too many large companies do not pay the taxes they owe to the developing countries. In fact it is estimated for every £1 a developing country receives in aid, they loose £3 in avoided tax. Isn't that outrageous. The money that is lost in these tax dodges could be used by the affected developing countries to help millions escape from hunger and malnutrition. 

The Enough Food IF campaign is calling for the UK government to take action against tax evasion, and step up and close the international tax loop holes. If all the G8 leaders were to agree to a new international tax treaty, poor countries could keep hold of the tax money they're owed. They could then use to fight hunger and poverty within their own countries.  For example the money could be used to support farmers to grow enough food for everyone in the country. IF problems that undermine the fight against hunger, such as tax evasion, are addresed, countries will be able to finance their fight against hunger and be less dependant on international aid. Join the Enough Food IF campaign today and do your bit to fight global hunger. 

For the month of January I have been living below the poverty line in a bid to raise money for the incredible charity Tearfund. If you would like to sponsor me please click here to be taken straight to my just giving page. Any donations would be greatly appreciated and will go straight to Tearfund and help to fund their global projects. 

Day 26: Enough Food IF - Aid

Day 26: Saturday 26th January 2013

Saturday's Menu:
Breakfast: Porridge with water, frozen fruit and 1 tsp of sugar
Lunch: Home made soup and 1/3 tin of peaches
Dinner: Small portion of chickpea curry and rice
Snack: Half a bowl of porridge

The last few days have been fantastic. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and everyday I am getting closer to completing the challenge. My friends have been ridiculously encouraging and this has spurred me on to storm the final few days. Its amazing how lucky this month has made me feel. I don't think I have ever appreciated how ridiculously blessed I am to have been born into a life where I don't need to worry about simple things like food or shelter. This month has been a massive challenge for me, but I  haven't come close to experiencing what true poverty is like. I haven't felt the excruciating level of hunger and suffering that 1.4 billion people worldwide feel everyday. I get to finish this challenge in a weeks time, 1.4 billion people may never see the end of their suffering. Well they won't if we do nothing about it. 

Here are a few facts for you...

With food prices at their highest in decades, poor families in developing countries often spend as much as three quarters of their income on food. 

1/4 children in the developing world are underweight.

The number of people who were undernourished in 2008 may be as high as 915 million and exceeded one billion in 2009.

It is estimated that by 2025 nearly a billion young people over the world will face poverty because of the damage done to them now through hunger and malnutrition.

It is estimated that some countries lose 2 - 3% of their potential GDP because of under-nutrition.

It is such a vicious cycle. Poverty leads to worsened poverty. How can people get out without our help.  Yesterday I spoke about the new campaign that Tearfund have recently launched in coalition with over 100 other charities. 'Enough Food IF'. A campaign that is striving to lead the fight against world hunger, urging our government to take action and keep its promises, putting the UK at the forefront of battle.

As I mentioned yesterday our leaders need to tackle the four biggest issues that contribute towards global hunger. Today I am going to talk about the first issue, Aid. 

'There would be Enough Food For Everyone IF we give life-saving aid to stop children dying from hunger and help the poorest families feed themselves'

Aid is a crucial step in the fight against world hunger. Aid enables us to change the lives of millions, and stop the effects of malnutrition and poverty before it causes permenat damage.  At the moment UK aid and projects funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) help to prevent an estimated 10 million children from going hungry.  In September 2011 DFID announced that they will be expanding their nutrition-related programmes to help reach 20 million children under the age of 5. This is brilliant but more can, and needs, to be done. 

The UK government have pledged to give 0.7% of its income to international aid. We could see an end to hunger IF the government keeps this promise. We could see an end to hunger IF we unite and ensure they take action. We could see the end to hunger IF we let our voices be heard and speak out on behalf of the millions who can't speak up for themselves. Join the campaign today and help the fight against global hunger... http://enoughfoodif.org/.

If you would like to sponsor me for this month's challenge please click here to be taken straight to my just giving page. The money will help Tearfund to fund its global projects fight hunger, poverty and injustice.

Day 25: Enough Food IF

Day 25: Friday 25th January

Friday's menu
Breakfast: Porridge with water, tbsp of sugar and 50g frozen fruit.
Lunch: Cup a Soup
Dinner: Left over portion of Tuesday's Sausage casserole and portion of rice. 
Dessert: Half a sachet of custard (its really not that bad anymore) 


I have been spewing out a lot of facts this month about extreme poverty and global hunger. 14% of the World's population go to bed hungry every night. 1.4 billion people live below the extreme poverty line. Numbers that would shock many but definitely not enough. Lets bring the facts closer to home. The equivalent of the entire population of the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and the rest of Europe all go to bed hungry night after night, after night. What an absolute outrage! Can you imagine if this was actually the reality for one of these countries. It would be headline news. There would be international outrage, protests, emergency international summits; governments would be doing everything they could to change this! So why are the above facts not headline news? Why are there no emergency summits? Why do we know these facts and do nothing? Why is the world not in outrage because of this injustice? 

Is it that we have heard it all before? Is it that we think we can't make a difference? Is it that poverty has always been a reality and so what's the point? What is it that makes us so indifferent to the suffering of so many people? 

Our food systems are broken. There is enough food to feed everyone but still 1 in 8 people go to bed hungry every night? 2.3 million children died last year from malnutrition. What is going on! People all over the world are struggling to feed their families? Why are we not standing up for them? Don't get me wrong, we have made progress in other areas of development, but, hunger is still a massive issue. It really is 'the great scandal of our age'.  

Change is coming.  On Wednesday 23rd of January British MPs met at Westminster to debate how the UK should address the scandal that is global hunger. In 2013 the UK will take on the rotating presidency of the G8 summit. During Tuesday's debate Tom Clarke the MP for Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill suggested the UK should use this presidency to push for new global agreements to fight poverty. International Development Minister Alan Duncan also stated that 2013 was the year that the UK would become the first G8 country to actually meet the commitment of spending 0.7% of its gross national income on international development issues. These suggestions and promises need to be kept and put into action. 

On the same day, over 100 UK charities, including Tearfund, launched a new, joint, campaign; 'Enough Food If'. A campaign that is leading the battle against global hunger, working to make sure our government keeps its promises. We need our leaders to tackle the four biggest issues that are contributing to Global Hunger. IF these issue were addressed the process to the food system will be kick started and we can be the catalyst to begin of the end of world hunger. 

The issues... 

'IF. A tiny, powerful word. What IF today was the beginning of the end of world hunger? What IF we could change the future for millions of people?' Help make IF happen and join the campaign today at enoughfoodif.org. 

IF we hold our government accountable, we can help to fight global hunger. IF the government keeps its promises the future can be changed for millions. Its going to take a long time but we can be the change. 'IF' is striving to promote food security and help those countries affected by global hunger. For the next 4 days I  am going to to discuss in more detail each of these big issues and how we can help make a difference. This year the UK has an opportunity to lead the fight against the atrocity that is global hunger.  Lets make sure our government keeps its promise and join the campaign today. 

If you would like to sponsor me for this month's challenge and help Tearfund to fight global hunger please click here and donate today.

Below are a few videos from IF...