Helen- 
I was really excited to start this weeks challenge, I wanted to choose something that I would find difficult but also for it to still be acheivable. As such, I gave up on the living off £5 for the week and decided to give up facebook and cut out chocolate, cake biscuits etc for the week as these are luxuries. I wasn't finding it too hard yesterday until the evening when I received some thorntons chocolates for valentines day! It's always sooooo much more difficult not to be tempted when your boyfriend's scoffing his face with choccie right next to you! It was also pretty hard to avoid facebook yesterday, I can;t believe how much time I spend procrastinating on fb when I should be working but as it turns out life does continue to exist outside of fb! I'm feeling optimistic about the next 4 days :) 

Speak soon x

Maya- 
I am the other camper! Ready for the first night out in the tent! I'm hoping we won't be too cold but i'm pretty sure we won't be that comfy. I guess we will see tomorrow morning how we are feeling, i think this challenge is just going to make us think about some of the things we take for granted. It will be most interesting when we get up in the morning ready for a day in the library when everyone else has had a good nights sleep...and we will have the same tent for the next 4 nights...

Hannah-

Hey guys and dolls...

The task i've set myself is to live off £5.00 for the week, a pound a day...so heres a little about what I've been feeling about my challenge today... 

I guess the first thing is pretty obvious; I was hungry and also craving my normal morning caffeine fix.(so yes a little grouchy at 9am too!)  It's one of the first times I've woken up and actualy had to worry about what I could eat that day- something people in the third world struggle with everyday of their lives.  I know I can't compare my experiences to any degree to that of the third world, my life is no comparison...but it's the tip of the iceburg to force me to question how much I take for granted everyday, I can eat what I want when I want without any kind of worry or constraint.

I managed to get a loaf of bread for 49p and some humous for 30p- so no I didnt starve...but it was a struggle!! Amazing how tempting it is to blow the pound on a bar of galaxy when you want the sugar rush your used to.(yes it's my weakness)  Supermarkets are full of temptations!! But people in the third world don't have this luxury...they don't even have the luxury to be tempted as they don't have the means to.

Beginning to feel this week is going to teach me more about how much I take for granted then just about what it's like to be hungry.

Tough...but great for making me THINK.

Over and out, speak tomorrow x

DAY ONE

Mary- 
Today, Maya and I put up the tent in the back garden!! Can't quite believe we are doing it. I was really encouraged when my housemate came out to help us and said to me, "Mary, if you make it through tonight I'll give Oxfam International £10 and if you make it through the week i'll give you £20!". I'll have to remember this when i'm freezing cold in the tent tonight. It did make me think though... here we are making such a fuss about staying in a tent for a week, when millions of people live without clean water, adequate sanitation and often live in shanty towns. Lets see how i'm feeling about all this tomorrow!

Poverty Week approaching!

The upcoming Poverty Week which the society will be participating has had a mini-makeover. Basically, although anyone is welcome to live on just a pound a day, we realize that poverty is about more than money. In fact, poverty means different things to different people. This is why we are inviting those involved to undertake a personal challenge which they feel demonstrates what poverty is. A few ideas that have been flying around are living without internet, a cell phone, using a set amount of water daily, and so many more!

Over the next week, anyone will be able to log on and blog about how they are doing and what they are feeling... let the experience begin! 

Lots of love xx

Social tonight!

Tonight is our first social of 2011! We are hoping to meet some of the new members who have recently signed up, should be a really fun night! Anyone is welcome- the more the merrier! The idea is to wear anything you have bought from an Oxfam shop... and when we say anything it can really be anything! Our lovely Social secretaries Maya and Alex promise rewards for creativity so that is more than reason enough to plan a crazy outfit. We are meeting at a local bar in Exeter and then onto Time Piece afterwards! The link to the facebook page is... http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=194099663934033&index=1

VALENTINES DAY ROSE DISTRIBUTION

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=105747656167120

this is the link to our facebook event!

very excited to spread the love on valentines day- not just for one individual but also remembering people across the world who are affected by poverty and climate change.  Roses are going to be distributed across the Streatham campus with tags reminding people to share their love with those less well off then us too!