This blog post will be short and sweet – I think we have all seen it in some way shape or form before on our televisions or on our news-feeds on facebook.
Challenge #10 – To Live Below the Line.
I have been meaning to pursue this challenge for quite a few years. I have had numerous friends constantly update my news-feed with their fundraising stories, meals, and subsequent pride in completing this challenge, and I think it’s fitting with this blog now in motion to add it to the growing list of things I have committed to.
If you are unaware of the program, Live Below the Line is a fundraising affront organised by the Oaktree Foundation to aid in it’s ‘war’ against poverty. The challenge of the program is to live like those who live below the poverty line – $2 a day for food, total – for an entire 5 days. This may sound difficult, but it is manageable. And furthermore, it gives you an understanding of just how much the 1.4 billion people below the Extreme Poverty Line eat daily.
But in going through this, it is hoped that awareness, while important, is not the only thing being raised. Fundraising from the efforts of those taking the challenge goes towards trying to raise the percentage of people around the world who do indeed live everyday below this line. The Australian funds directly go to our nearest and poorest neighbour, Papua New Guinea. Money will be utilised to develop schools, boost educational backgrounds and literacy, and allow a greater number of people the opportunity to find work and income.
If you have any queries with the regards to the organisation or to the utilisation of funds, head on over to the website (link above) and scroll through their media and information.
So in order to assist me in this challenge, I hope you can head on over to my page, and donate a small amount, whatever is within your means, towards this challenge. It will be the first of quite a few fundraising challenges we pursue on the blog this year, but we feel this one is more likely to strike a wider audience, and hence have a greater chance of success than many other relatively unknown organisations. I hope to raise approximately $500 for the cause, and anything you could contribute to that would be much appreciated!
To donate, follow the directions in the link below:
https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/mattheworman
I will use the blog during fundraising, and especially throughout the week of eating, to document the challenge faced. Complete with meal diary, photo’s, shopping lists, and regular hunger complaints. For any of you wanting to see me in relative agony (some of you know how much I love food after your travels through San Sebastian!) – this is your chance.
The other request is to form a network of people committed to our challenge. If you yourself are signing up, and do not have a team or organisation with which to amalgamate a group total, join ours!! Simply add: YearofExperiences as your Network name during your application. It would be fantastic to get a great network of people joining, and amass more towards a network challenge sum.
As a reward for joining the network, get in touch with us and we’d love to have you do a guest blog to talk about your own fundraising efforts, your food diary, or subsequent hunger pangs.
If nothing else, please share this blog link with your friends and family, and explain the situation. Or ultimately, convince them to join the appeal and Live Below the Line themselves.
I will also hopefully coax Connor into joining me. I’m sure he’d oblige!
Wish me luck, and thanks for your support!
~ Matt
yearofexperiences 