SarahGledhill

Although the last week has been challenging, it has also been enjoyable and enlightening! Over the past week I have learnt a number of things about the way I live my life and the way I can change it, in order to try and help those who live in Poverty. I hope these things will stick with me for a long time and change the way I think about things, the decisons I make and the way I live my life.

Sleeping on the floor was uncomfortable, cold and cramped! I, unlike the millions of people who live in abject poverty all over the world, did not have to worry about how I would afford to send my children to school, how I would find the next meal for my family or whether natural disasters would destroy my livelihood or home.

The part of this challenge that has made the most impact on me has been the diet aspect. I, along with the majority of people, eat for the sake of it, just because food is there and it tastes nice. For the first couple of days I felt really drained, lethargic and couldn't concentrate because the amount of food I ate almost halved. After a while though, I came to realise that the amount I usually eat was stupid and its more than feasible to eat a lot less. I am under no circumstances suggesting that the amount of food most people in developing countries eat is acceptable, but I believe that in countries such as the UK our greed is unneccessary.

Before I took part in this challenge I was passionate about the work charities such as Oxfam do. After taking part, my passion to achieve change, in relation to the way one billion people live in dire poverty and climate change reduction, has been strenghtened. I look forward to the future and hope it will be brighter for many!

Congratulations to everyone who has taken part in this poverty challenge, I have read some inspirational stuff! Lets hope it makes a difference!

Thank you to everyone, both family, friends and colleagues, (and in particular Nicola Sansom- for organising!), who have helped, supported and spurred me on over the past week! :) xxx

If you would like to see more about the work campaigning work Oxfam does visit http://www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved/campaign/activists/

Today, as part of the Big Climate Connection, organised by the Stop Climate Chaos group, I met with my local MP Craig Whittaker. I was initially very nervous, but calmed down as soon as I got there. My plan was to talk to him about Climate Change and how it is affecting the poorest people in the world first and worst. Once I got to his office, I realised that the person who had the appointment before me had also been part of the Big Climate Connection and therefore had been quizzing him on Climate Change. I therefore decided to change my tactics and instead focus mainly on poverty and the coalition government's plans regarding International Development.

I started by asking Mr Whittaker if he had any experience of poverty, he had no direct experience, but had travelled in the summer with the department for International Development to Kenya where he had seen dire poverty, especially in the capital Nairobi. Whilst in Kenya though, he had also seen many examples of the work being done by NGOs (Non Governmental Organisations) such as Oxfam and FarmAfrica, to improve people's lives. He also told me that currently, two of his children are working at an orphanage for street children in Tanzania. He highlighted that his two main focus points, as an MP, were Education and International Development.

When we talked about Climate Change, I asked him what he thought our government could do to encourage other nations to take more steps to protecting the environment, he said that he thought the UK should try and lead the way in green living. By showing other countries that it is possible to lessen the impact on the environment whilst still being succesful, then other nations are more likely to want to help the environment.

When I asked him what he would do personally, as an MP, in relation to development he said he would question any negative changes that were proposed by the government, to try and ensure the success and future of International Development and giving of aid by the UK. He also highlighted the government's commitment to increasing the amount of aid given, to 0.7% of GDP, and said he hoped it would pass this! I felt that all in all it was a successful meeting! I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Whittaker for taking the time to speak to me.

As a typical english person I must at least mention the weather! For the past few days, the weather in West Yorkshire at least has been dire, with continual heavy rain and blustery gales. This unfortunate weather got me thinking about how people across the developing world deal with the extreme weather conditions and natural disasters they face. Currently a tropical storm is tracking towards Haiti, which is still coping with devestation from an earthquake. It is hard enough for poverty stricken nations to cope on a day to day basis, but when their lives are turned upside down by conditions such as floods, droughts and tropical storms, the challenge increases. As part of my challenge I have been trying to use only one hour of electricity a day, excluding that which I have used at work etc, in order to highlight the issue of Climate Change.

As we continue to use large amount of energy, burning fossil fuels and therefore releasing large amounts of Greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, we are increasing the pressure on the poorest people in the world who are being hit first and worse by Climate Change. Oxfam is calling for a Fair Deal for these people, asking rich nations to help mitigate against the effects of Climate Change, and by thinking about your lifestyle and making a few small adjustments, you can ensure that we too work towards a Fair Deal!

Finally, I would like to ask my MP Craig Whittaker- What does Povery mean to you?

Thanks again for reading x 

I have come to realise over the past couple of days that often I eat just because food is there and not really because I am hungry! Whilst eating my simple diet of porridge, rice, beans etc, I have definatley noticed that I have a lot less energy than normal, everyday tasks such as walking up long flights of stairs have been much harder and it has also been harder to concentrate.

Hunger is an everyday challenge for many millions of people throughout the world, not knowing when you are going to have your next meal must be a worry, aswel as having the problem of having no energy. Many people in rich countries such as the UK take food for granted, we leave our plates full, merely because we do not like the taste, and simply move onto something we prefer. Food wast in the UK amounts to £9 billion each year, imagine what this could do to improve the lives both abroad and in the UK.

Currently, West Africa is experiencing a food crisis, with almost 10 million people in countries such as Niger and Chad experiencing severe hunger and malnourishment. Climate Change is not helping food security, especially in Africa, with erratic weather patterns and irregular rains leading to severe water shortages meaning unreliable food sources. See what Oxfam is doing to help here. 

After my first night's sleep on the floor I felt a little worse for wear after waking up throughout the night. I purposefully slept on the floor between a sofa bed and chest of drawers so there was only a small amount of room. It must be terrible for people who live in poverty in developing countries who may be sharing a small room with the rest of their family, especially when they have little comfort at all. Sleep, like diet is integral to our lives, if we do not get enough sleep we do not perform as well in our jobs/schooling and our health is not as strong as it should be.

Not only do physical conditions affect people's sleep, but also the things going on in their lives do too. Imagine constanly worrying about how you are going to afford your next meal for yourself and your family, how you are going to keep your children in school and how you are going to buy important medication to fight off diseases such as Malaria, HIV/Aids and Diarrhea.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog x