WinnieyMaduro

It’s the third day and I feel like I’m getting use to this. I have successfully resisted all urges to grab a quick cappuccino or bag of nuts – feel a bit groggy but healthy and accomplished so I am grateful. I overspent yesterday so I thought I’d be thriftier today. I am unable to afford most of the things I need daily such as fresh fruits and nuts so I am learning to improvise - My daily ration as follow

Half dozen free range eggs = £1.00, 1 litre multi-fruit juice = 1.49, pack of 12 potato waffles = £1.00 total sum £4.00

To save money on transport I decided to walk every where. Fortunately though, most of my critical services such as work, library and supermarket are within a five miles radius. However, most people who are trapped in bitter unrelenting poverty do not have access to such services that could easily alleviate their plight, neither do they have access to affordable and reliable transport. They tend to live in communities are mostly deprived and excluded and certainly any one would struggle to afford the cost to commute out to seek better opportunities. They learn to accept their life circumstances and develop norms, values, behaviours and practices that’s are inculcated overtime and passed on to their children….thus creating a culture of poverty

“We are very fortunate here”

Gracefully uttered by a senior citizen whom I overheard in conservation at a bus stop in Greater Manchester today. She looked about 85 yrs, polite, contained and very well groomed with pearly white dentures…I thought – how true!

Today has been particularly difficult because my “cappuccino daily” lifestyle in on hold and my urges are hunting – until next week that is. I live in a part of Greater Manchester that is serviced by Stagecoach – one of the better public bus companies with lower travel rates. I am fortunate to have unlimited travel for the best available deal of only £11.00 per week. Stagecoach buses are usually very clean, the drivers are professional and friendly and the neighbourhoods they service are generally safe – therefore yeSS “we are fortunate around here” when according to recent figures One child in four in the North West lives in poverty.

In some parts of the North West, nearly every child you meet lives below the poverty line which is classed as bringing a family of four up on £11 each per day.

According to the government’s latest figures, one in four of the North West’s children live below this poverty line. Child poverty charity Barnardos believes the real figure is closer to one in three.

Today I started with a dairy drink for breakfast and had boiled salad potatoes and steamed onion/paprikas for both lunch dinner. My energy level is severely low, I feel faintish and my head hurts - I need iron supplement. I can’t afford my £8.00 a month supply pack so off I went to good old Home Bargains to get my daily ration for the rest of today and tomorrow. My travel ticket is due for renewal tomorrow so I am also a bit wary – that big chunk – 11.00 phew! Wish I could just walk every where;0.

The following is what I overspent on…..

6 Loose ripe bananas (not Fairtrade) = £1.08, 500g Demerara unrefined brown sugar = £0.82, tinned pineapple slices = £0.58, 2 condensed tinned milk £2.00, 500ml Guinness £1.35, frozen mixed vegetables £1.50 and frozen mixed paprika £1.00 total sum = £8.33….Opps!! I’ve overspent I’m now in debt

Today Monday is the second day of my challenge. I am just back from the supermarket with my ration. I visited three different supermarkets to get the best deals – still I think I came out with less than a balance meal. I am anaemic and Pescitarian so need a good dose of ion supplement each day – I started my day with lentils and paprika soup for both breakfast and lunch – left over from yesterday. The following is what I came back with from the supermarket for dinner and tomorrow 

Sterilised milk = £0.69, Salad potatoes = £0.80p, Onions = £0.58p, 3 pink grapefruits = £0.99 and 4 lemons = £0.58p - total: £3.64

The challenge so far has helped me reflect on my own attitude about basic needs. Making poverty history is a challenge I’ve always been passionate about, but lacking an appreciation of life in abject poverty – which can’t be learnt -  it must only be lived.

So I’m walking around the supermarkets with my £5.00 in my pocket and I’m thingking ehmm... I am now just one of at least 80% of humanity who live on less than £6.00 a day – this is gut wrenching but not as bad as the  25,000 children under the age of 5 who die every day from preventable poverty related causes http://www.onedayswages.org/about/our-vision

http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats

I am challenging myself to live on just £5 each day. I think it will be really difficult to survive on just this amount for a each day, as I need it to cover all my transport and meals.

This is the amout that is given to Asylum seekers, so I would like to ask my MP Tony Lloyd if he thinks this a reasonable amount?