This week young people across the UK are making a stand against extreme poverty by living below the line. Peggitty considers the impact of this campaign.
UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) number one is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. Enormous strides have been taken towards achieving not just this, but all of the MDG – but there is still a very long way to go, especially in the current global economic climate. One way to help out as an individual is to get involved in Live Below the Line. Born in Australia in 2010, the campaign now stretches across the continents to the UK and the US and is one of the fastest growing anti-poverty campaigns in the world.
Although being sponsored is a very important part of it, Live Below the Line is about more than just raising money for organisations like Restless Development. It is an exercise in empathy for everyone who takes part, or for everyone who knows someone who is taking part. Think about it. That £1 of food and drink that you (or your friend or colleague or girlfriend or brother) are surviving on per day is no small deal in itself. But imagine you were to get ill whilst you’re struggling with your Below the Line challenge. Did you factor throat sweets into your £1? What about a hot drink to warm you up before you sleep? Cough syrup? Tissues? Now imagine you are HIV positive and you’ve been told it’s vital to keep your body strong and healthy. You have to do it on £1, maybe with no ready access to a doctor. Do you sacrifice food for the bus fare to the nearest hospital? These are the kinds of choices that still face too many people in the world today.
For the brave people who have signed up and are living Below the Line this May, it is just one small window on the lives of millions all across the globe, some of whom are supporting parents, spouses, children. But that’s how it starts. One small window for one person. Then two, then ten, fifty, a thousand. And for each of those, there will be another who will read or hear about your £1 a day adventure, perhaps someone who has never thought about it before. Little by little, we can spread the word to more and more people. There is no need for extreme poverty and hunger. We should not have to decide between enough food to live on and access to decent healthcare. So if you’re involved, shout out and tell everyone about your life Below the Line. With LBL, it really is the more, the merrier so if you missed out, don’t worry. 1) Sponsor someone now. 2) Get online to www.livebelowtheline.com/uk for more info. 3) Hey presto: you’re ready for next time!
Social media
Run by