Living below the poverty line on $2.25 a day
Friday 28 September 2012, 1:50PM
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Living on just $2.25 a day for five days is giving some Massey students and staff a taste of what life is like below the poverty line.
Massey politics lecturer Suzy Killmister challenged students in her Human Rights in a Global Context paper to take part in the Live Below the Line project.
From September 24-28 they have to feed themselves with just $2.25 a day – the New Zealand equivalent of the absolute poverty line.
Dr Killmister, who is also taking part, says students would get a taste of what life is like for the 1.4 billion people around the world who live below the absolute poverty line. It was a daunting challenge but also an opportunity to fundraise and contribute to a solution, rather than sitting around talking about it, she says.
Students were finding it tough and living on pasta, rice and bread and going without fresh fruit and vegetables. “I thought it would be easier,” student Hayley Blundell says, adding the diet was unhealthy. “It really opened my eyes to how fast food chains’ ‘loose change or $1 menus’ really seem great, when you’re living on a little.”’
Grant Weherley says he felt tired during the afternoons and it emphasised the disadvantages people in poverty face to succeed.
But Dr Killmister says she also wanted to stress how different it is to live on $11.25 for a week than it is to live on $820 a year, and not having to take into account rent, heating, transport, clothes and medicines. “It’s a whole different ballgame when there are none of these luxuries to fall back on.”
She hopes it motivates students to be proactive about trying to change things. “It often feels like there’s nothing we can do about such a big problem, but initiatives like this have the scope to make a real difference to people’s lives, through raising money and awareness for the work of charities like Oxfam and WorldVision.”
Senior lecturer in Linguistics Peter Petrucci also signed up for the challenge and carefully planned his meals for the week. He has raised more than $1000 but his new diet made him feel sluggish “and not as sharp”.
“I’ve always realised how fortunate I am, now I realise it more. I think of all the kids who go to school on an empty stomach and how hard it must be for them day after day.”