Katie - 
So I have decided to set myself three different challenges and see which is the most difficult. I am going to attempt to give up Facebook, my car and limit my use of water. So I have already failed miserably at giving up Facebook, but on reflection perhaps this is not such a bad thing? I would rather be able to talk to my friends and wish people Happy Birthday than use material things like my car. But I suppose it is only day one and by tomorrow I could be really struggling with the concept of having short, luke-warm showers! Giving up my car hasn't proved too challenging yet, but I haven't had to walk to campus in the pouring rain carrying all my books so when I do, it could be a different story! We will see what tomorrow brings :-)

And DAY TWO begins...

Flora-

I think first day of Poverty Week started off great- we handed out roses to people with the message that we all live in an increasingly inter-connected world and that love should not be bound into any boundaries! I think it was a really good way to start the week as this week is all about showing how lucky we are to live where we do, but we could just as easily live a completely different life. For my challenge this week I am walking an extra 3 miles every day (about 5km) on top of what I would walk regularly. After researching, I found out that 3 miles is the distance some people have to walk to get clean water (many walk much further than this). Yesterday, wearing my iPod that has a pedometer on it, I managed to hit my target. Although, I was a bit under by a mile by 8pm and my boyfriend and I decided to walk to the restaurant (that we would normally get a taxi to) the walk was lovely but I wore heels and now have a big old blister for my silly shoe choice! Yesterday really got me thinking- what if I had to walk this distance not to go for dinner, or to run an errand, but because my family had no water? I felt very lucky that we are able to turn on a tap and have clean water. It's just so easy to take these things for granted. xxx 

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