It was difficult, but I did it. I confess that I did not do all 5 days in one go, I eventually completed it over 10 days. My reasons for doing so were several-fold. Firstly, I have a stupidly crazy metabolism, and it's getting more and more unhealthy for me to skip meals. Yes, I eat breakfast now. 75% of the time. I wanted to do the challenge but be healthy. It was also the boy's graduation, so we went for a celebratory dinner at a restaurant I have been hassling him about to go to for a long time. I also didn't have any time to go to the shop to figure out what I wanted. So I sort of went into the challenge a bit blind.
I confess wholeheartedly that it was not my healthiest moment. I was actually under the weather for quite a bit, so I didn't want to eat much anyway. I existed on a diet mostly based on carbohydrates - pasta, oats, cous-cous and chocolate +/- cake. Oh and butter. And honey. I love Sainsbury's brand food. I also bought effervescent vitamin tablets which I calculated into the cost of the £1 a day, to keep me semi-nutritioned. I also included donated food as part of the cost. I know I could have cheated, but that would not have been honest to myself. I also chose not to include the price of water, as I wasn't sure how to calculate that. I buy in bulk anyway, and I used buy 1 get 1 free deals in order to exist. The effervescent tablets were the most - I didn't have one every day, but they work out to be 40p each. That was my one luxury.
For a lot of people, having read the facebook page and the website, they wanted to do it healthily, and to plan everything out properly. I just wanted to not go hungry, to eat whatever was necessary (but costing less than a pound a day) and to not think about it too much. After all, a significant proportion of the world's population do NOT wake up every day and think, hm, maybe I will eat this and this today, which will give me this and this vitamin and nutrient.
The 5 day challenge challenges us to think about poverty, and what it actually means, rather than seeing an advert on TV or in the print media and just ignoring it. By feeling what it feels like, we can now move forward and help to stop poverty. Hunger hurts; it has a devastating effect. I donate clothes and books, and some money if I can to charities. Donations are always welcome to change the course of poverty.
Well done to everyone who has completed it, and good luck to those who are still doing it or who wish to undertake it! It is an eye-opening experience. We are lucky to live in a developed country where food is readily accessible, and not only that, we can choose from a vast variety.
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| from google |
Also, whilst I am writing about poverty, please please please go and look at www.freerice.com. This is one of the best websites I have ever used. You get to increase your vocabulary / knowledge of Chemistry / Art / other, whilst donating 10 grains of rice through the World Hunger Programme. It is free to use, easy to use and fun, AND such a worthwhile cause. This is a cause fairly dear to my heart. Firstly, my parents revolve their diet around rice; it's a Chinese thing. I have heard firsthand from them what poverty is truly like, and I have been playing on this site intermittently, although more often of recent, for a few years now. Getting 20 answers right allows the WHP to donate 200 grains of rice.
Together we can take small steps towards ending poverty :)
Carol xxx
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