So this is the end of the poverty challenge week, and although I did crack once, it's not been the easiest thing I've ever done! Lots of travelling, working and general living have been made so much more difficult without the regular use of hot water, which I definitely didn't realise quite how much we take for granted!

It's the little things that we can all do that can make a difference, raising awareness about poverty and talking to and challenging MPs is a great way to begin bringing about change which can help those living in poverty.

So we've come to the end of the poverty challenge week, thank you for reading and commenting!

I can't pretend that this week has been anything like living in poverty, but it did raise interesting issues about all the small things we can all do to help raise awareness for poverty - I've had more conversations about poverty this week than I think ever before, so that can only be a good thing in terms of raising awareness.

I didn't post yesterday because I was away for the weekend with the Officers' Training Corps - which could be described as the TA for students. I couldn't really do the challenge over there - we were eating from ration packs and I wasn't spending any money. I got back early this afternoon and rolled a tidy 4. So that covered my dinner easy. It got me thinking about how much money I actually need to get by. This week I have got by spending a lot less money than I do normally and I don't feel any worse for it. Infact, I feel good about it. That is something I will take with me from this experience.

This is the final day of the challenge and I thought I would feel really relieved but I'm actually a bit sad. The best thing about this whole task for me was the sense of community I felt. Knowing that there were about 100 people all doing similar things; going through the same difficulties, I felt a strong sense of unity. Equally, all the kind words of support, from people I see everyday to people I haven't seen in ages, have made the whole challenge much more rewarding than I could have imagined.

I would like to end this blog with a quote I came across on the internet:

“Working together, ordinary people can perform extraordinary feats. They can push things that come into their hands a little higher up, a little further on towards the heights of excellence.” 

I would like to set you a challenge: find something you care about, it doesn't have to be about poverty, and do something about it.

Thanks guys,

Chris

Usually I get through the day at my part time job as waitress safe in the knowledge that I am getting a fairly decent wage and constantly tell myself that it is worth all of the interfacing with the rude public. But not today. Each time I looked at the clock I thought about the fact that I was working for free today, instead donating my wage to Oxfam to end the challenge week. I couldn’t even console myself with a juicy cream cake or scone, sad times.

As the challenge comes to an end and I am dreaming about what I will eat tomorrow I can’t help but think that I have only experienced a fraction of what people in poverty deal with everyday. I am also a little sad that I will no longer be writing blog entries as I have come to really enjoy doing them and reading all the others. This is turn has made me think about Burma and the unfair elections that have been held there today. People in Burma have no freedom of expression so do not get the luxury of writing a blog and I am here whining to the world it is nearly over.

I did get a response from my local MP, who lauded everyone’s efforts for undertaking the challenge, it was a polite reaction but didn’t answer my questions on what he was doing personally and as part of the government to alleviate poverty. More lobbying will need to be done!

So at the end of the week I am a few pounds lighter, in both weight and cash, and I feel that I have begun to understand how hard life can be without choice over your diet. I am astonished at all the other challengers achievements and really hope that we have made people think about what poverty means and even encouraged people to do a little bit more to help those people who struggle to survive everyday but do so with strength and do not whinge about the hot chocolate that they have had to live a week without. I will definitely be trying to cut  back on dairy in my diet and will be talking to people about my experience this week in attempt to get them to think about what they could live without or do to make a difference.

If you have been intrigued by the blog then please do your bit to change, challenge and care.

I've missed a couple of days blogging, and for that I must apologise. With a funeral to go to, much travelling to be done and work to go to, I have been pretty busy, but still managing to keep my mind on the challenge this week - with 1 lapse in the challenge (yes i did use (luke) warm water to shower and shave once, but I allowed myself this as it was the morning of the funeral).

But i actually want to talk about something different, as I have been working in a bar/restaurant for the last couple of nights. This presented quite a tough challenge - defy the bosses and use cold water to wash everything in?? or work to the capacity of the place i work in? I decided on the latter, for a start I can't change the glass washers to use cold water, and there's also the lovely people from the health and safety department who I don't want to displease too much.

This made me think about the bigger scale uses of warm water that we take for granted and how much difference this could make to people living in poverty without clean warm water. I'm not pretending that places with the charm of canal street in Manchester (if you've been, you'll know what I mean...) would pop up all over the world with access to warm water, but large scale businesses that have to answer to the aforementioned lovely people from the health and safety department would certainly find life far more difficult without it. What affect does this have on the development of small businesses trying to grow in places suffering large scale poverty? Could the cleanliness and hygiene offered by such a luxury really help in this respect? Would this then creat a rolling ball of growth, adding to job creation adding further lifts away from poverty? Hard to know, but one thing is for sure, hot water could seriously help.

As well as campaigning for Oxfam, I work part time as a conference and banqueting catering assistant at a couple of high-end hotels, theatres and restaurants around Manchester. Hence not finding the time to blog until now as weekends are obviously busy times. Whilst at work, I often find myself thinking about the stark inequality in the world. In late September this year, a slum in Delhi was demolished to avoid offending guests of the five-star hotel adjacent.

The indulgences, luxuries and decadence that some people enjoy seems disproportionately over the top when you're aware of what a struggle others have just to survive. The amount companies spend on corporate events would be laughable if it weren't for the fact that a tiny percentage of it could make such a difference elsewhere. This is why I think the Robin Hood Tax is such a good idea. Taxing financial institutions, many of which I have seen clearly have enough spare capital to wine and dine on what I can only assume they file as 'champagne expenses', would make little difference to an individual working for a bank (maybe Prosecco instead of Bollinger tonight). But it could make a huge difference to people living in poverty. It's not just about the money though. Talking to people about my poverty challenge gets mixed feedback. Some are interested and keen to engage in discussion about our unjust world. Others don't seem to care. 

I know I've strayed well off the topic of hot water now, but my experiences this week have been less interesting in terms of the challenge I undertook itself, and more so in relation to other people's reactions to the idea in general. In the words of S Club 7, to Bring It All Back to the original point of this blog: i miss tea, cold showers take all the enjoyment out of washing and thank god watching the x factor repeat will not involve the use of any hot water. Or I'd probably have to give up!

So as the challenge draws to a close and I have yet another bowl of rice and beans I am really thinking about what I have learnt this week. To say this has been one of the hardest things I have ever done would be a bit melodramatic, it is not as if I have starved or been forced to eat tasteless food three times a day, although I have come close to both of these!  I have still eaten, albeit not as well as normal and have bouts of hunger throughout the week but I am still here and well.

The amount of choice I allow myself over my diet has definitely been the biggest eye opener throughout the week and this is something that I will be more aware of post challenge. Although I will not carry on began a strict vegan I think I am going to cut back on the amount of dairy I eat as well as remaining vegetarian. For me it is really important we realise how much pressure we put on the planet by over demanding meat and dairy in our diets so I am going to try and do my bit to cut back.

Tomorrow at my part time job I am going to work for the equivalent wage of a sweatshop worker, in no way is my job as laborious of uncomfortable as working in a sweatshop but I want to further understand how it feels to do a hard days work and not be adequately paid for it. I will donate my wage to Oxfam instead.

As you can see I am feeling a lot more upbeat today, simply because Edinburgh is soooo Vegan friendly!!! I woke up thinking about what I could possibly eat as my stomach roared at me and I was feeling quite pessimistic. However a stroll into Edinburgh centre took me to a great little Eco friendly café adorned with Elephants where I had a hearty meal, maybe I will have to move to Edinburgh?  

Despite my upbeat tone, and who wouldn’t be in this lovely city, I did have a really interesting and thought provoking chat with a guy who was street fundraising for Shelter. As he reeled off the statistics of how many people were homeless in the UK, I thought about the challenge and how it is important to remember that so many people live in poverty right on our doorstep. Oxfam does some really valuable work in the UK, to see what have a look at http://www.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam_in_action/issues/poverty-in-the-uk.html

Off to see the fireworks I go, minus a toffee apple as I’m pretty sure that toffee is made with some kind of dairy product so even that is out of the question now!

Before you ask - No that isn't me its Chris Evans.

Today I rolled a 1 again which is a bit annoying. I have rolled two 1s now and no 6s. That brings my average down to £2.60 a day. My bike is really starting to annoy me. Since the 2nd puncture I haven't fixed it I just keep repumping it up every couple of miles. And the wheel has started to run against the frame so it's like riding everywhere with the brakes on. I'm just generally tired and undernourished. But at least I've been able to sleep in my bed - unlike Harriet Gendall who, along with me, did an interview on BBC Radio Merseyside this morning.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00bw2m7/Tony_Snell_in_the_Morning_05_11_2010/ The interview starts at 2.25.45 

Yeh it was good fun. I've never been on the radio before. I was expecting the place to be a hive on frenzied activity but there were only 4 people in the building and it was a relaxed atmosphere. I was absolutely bricking it before I went on but once I was live on air I was alright. It was alright on the night, in the morning.

Check out Harriet's blog - she made an interesting point about freedom of speech, poverty and censorship

So as yet, still not braved the full-on cold shower. I'm a total pansy. Living without normal hygiene practices isn't quite where I thought this challenge would go.

Some 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation. I can't pretend to even be able to imagine what that's like.

The World Bank estimates that due to the food, fuel and financial crises of the last couple of years, 100 million more people may remain without access to safe water by 2015. Can we let an economic crisis become an excuse for not meeting the Millenium Development Goal promises made to halve the 1990 poverty rate by 2015?

In other news...

BBC apologises for reports claiming Band Aid money was used to buy arms

convinced?

I rolled a 3 today.

Could have been worse. Bit of a glass half full/half empty situation. But it proved enough to get me through the day and cook for my housemates. I cooked a veggie pasta bolognese - and it was quite tasty. Infact I'm quite proud of myself. I've still not got round to fixing the puncture and I am getting bored of walking everywhere in the rain. It's refreshing - in a bad way. Food is running low now. Its cornflakes without milk for breakfast and tea and coffee isnt the same without a dash of milk. Hahaha. (ironic laugh)

No more bread so I skipped lunch because I had to save up for dinner. The average dice score so far is 3. I'm still holding out for a 6. They say fortune favours the brave. So I agreed to go and talk on BBC radio Merseyside tomorrow morning (8.20) about the challenge. So wish me luck!!

After a very long day of travel and work I began thinking my challenge might be a little too easily achievable. Washing myself with cold water and foregoing tea hasn't really been all that testing. Then I got home and realised the massive pile of laundry needed to start getting dented or I'd run out of clothes before the week was done.

Washing clothes with cold water in the sink is long. Getting in from work at 9, I have just spent an hour and a half rinsing and ringing. My fingers are wrinkly, my back aches from leaning over and I've turned the kitchen into a water park. The lack of a speed-drying function on the tap also means there is a bona fide lake emerging underneath the clothes horse in the living room. Washing machines are a godsend. Its ridiculous how much more convenient they are. I truly dont understand how anyone has time to do anything other than laundry without them. I suppose having far fewer clothes to wash in the first place might make some difference.

Increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events caused by global climate change affects people by destroying their homes and livelihoods. Vulnerable communities, who are unprepared for these events, can often be left with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Bangladesh is regularly fraught with storms and flooding, and without the means or knowledge to adapt to climate change, some people stand little chance of breaking free from the poverty cycle.  What would you like the government to do about global climate change?

On the plus side, at least all that housework has warmed me up enough to not mind the lack of heating.

Today I had to travel a fair amount, from Herefordshire to Manchester and back again, and after yesterdays fiasco with the wet weather I was hoping for a better day. And in fairness it was much better, can't say I missed hot water too much except for the standard coffee cravings. But having had quite a lot of time to sit and ponder this challenge and what it means for poverty, my thoughts came to how much hot water had affected development, in terms of society and technology. 

Would motorway service stations, or hotels or gyms be so attractive and so heavily used everyday by millions of people if they lacked something like hot water?

Would any of them ever have been developed without the knowledge that free flowing hot water was so readily available?

I'm not sure if I'm getting myself into a chicken and egg situation here, but it is worth pondering the effects of water on development. Would the world's poverty stricken areas be exactly that if water was so readily available? Me thinks not.

I am getting more into this vegan thing now and I will be definitely considering cutting back on the dairy products that I eat after my experience this week. Aside from the screaming cravings for chocolate and cheese I realise that I am eating quite well and that I am very lucky compared to some of the other challengers who are only eating rice and beans all week.

I even managed to have a vegan lunch at a local café today and it was lovely, clearly demonstrating that a vegan diet is doable and enjoyable, although I couldn’t help but stare at my friends Monster cheese sandwich, all that bread and cheese!!!

My challenge has inspired my carnivorous Uncle to cut back on meat, which is great. He proudly proclaimed in an email earlier that he was having a meat free day! How fabulous and exactly what this is challenge is all about, to get people thinking about where their food comes from and what they could live without.

A trip to Edinburgh will be the next challenge, as I head up there tomorrow for the weekend. Hopefully I will be able to get a warming lentil soup or something?!

Haven’t managed to get that hot chocolate off my mind all day though, only 4 more days to go! But then this makes me think that people living in poverty don’t have a time limit on their diet choice and sometimes do not know where their next meal will be coming from. For me, life will never be that difficult and I feel incredibly privileged as a result, so I am going to man up and enjoy my bean stew, lentils and soya for the next few days.

Hey guys, here's an update to let you know how I'm doing! 

Living without transport really shouldn't be the biggest challenge, no where near as big as say, living on a pound a day, buuut surprisingly it is more of a nuisance than it'd seem! Having to wake up earlier, or get everything done earlier to account for the extra time it's going to take can be quite a stress when living in the midst of a busy city. Normally I would give myself say, 30 minutes to get into Uni from my house, this is taking the bus of course. However, to be on the safe side I'm trying to give myself around an hour in advance to make sure I get there on time! 

The exercise side of things is also pretty tiring at times, when I'm in a rush/stress and have things to do, the last thing I want to be doing is power walking! 

However, I am enjoying the challenge and am really starting to appreciate the Magic buses of Manchester and their quick and convenient service! I don't think I'll be complaining about public transport in England for a while after this! 

Nooooo. I rolled a 1 today.

And what a terrible day its been. Without money for public transport I decided it was time to fix that puncture on my bike.

I didn't have any food in the cupboards at home and I was running late so I cycled in without making any food. I got really hungry at lunchtime from all the extra exertion and stupidly blew my 1 pound on a Greggs pie. Silly I know. I should have invested that pound in a loaf of bread. But no I wasted it on a pie.

Now its quater to 4 and its pouring it down outside, its going dark and I just checked my bike and the tyre is flat again. I didn't bring a coat either. No money for the bus - so I'm walking home.

I've got to cook for my whole house tomorrow so for their sake I hope its not another 1.

Today I've learned a valuable lesson from today's mini-disaster: I need to plan ahead for when times get hard.

Oxfam supports governments in making disaster preparedness plans in countries like the Philippines which are vulnerable to climate change: http://www.ipsnews.org/news.asp?idnews=48718

Didn't think I'd be pushed to breaking point with this challenge quite so soon! Walking home today got soaked in the rain, arrived cold and wet and the foulness of my mood was probably matched only by the weather itself. I doubt I'm alone in Britain when I say my first reaction was to envisage a long hot bath or shower with a cuppa tea waiting for me when I got out. No such luck today! I got changed and did a few sulky star-jumps to warm up and sat down to rue the weather.

Once my mood had subsided, my thoughts started to head in a different direction. I was sat there cursing the rain that I know all too well, yet maybe 3 or 4 days ago I was reading an article about the Amazon being at it's lowest levels due to prolonged drought in South America, thinking how there must be Brazilian fishermen and farmers, for example, wishing for the regular rainfall we slate so much in this country. Whether or not this particular example is related to climate change is not for me to say, however there is no doubt that situations like this will become more common place as a result of climate change, leading to more people being exposed to poverty. 

With increased frequency of floods in South East Asia, and drought in South America, to state just two examples, how can we mitigate and help people adapt and cope with the effects of global climate change? 

Having realised that putting off washing wasn't going to be a popular decision for those around me and vanity finally calling, today I decided to wash my hair. With a jug of cold water over the sink. The idea of a full cold shower was a little too off-putting to take the plunge quite yet. Maybe tomorrow.

Whilst leaning ungainly over the sink I was reminded of the time I spent in a small village in Cameroon last year for a rural development NGO where running water was either sporadic or non-existent. Walking through the village in the morning many people would be out by the stream washing themselves, their clothes and children. Whilst this seemed partly like a social event, what struck me was the lack of privacy, something I really take for granted. Privacy, especially for women, can be a serious issue for those living in poverty. Even more so following a natural disaster or during conflict. In situations where many refugees are living in close proximity in camps, incidences of rape and violence often increase. To me, this is extreme poverty. Lacking the means to be anywhere else when you are aware that yourself and family are in an incredibly vulnerable situation with no way out.

Obviously, washing my hair in cold water bears no resemblance to these kind of experiences. But thinking about the non-material differences, such as privacy, highlights how poverty is about far more than being financially poor.

So, is money the only answer? And what can we do to make people in vulnerable situations safer?

A question that has been occupying a disproportionate amount of my brain today is what I can spend my extra 26p on. How much would 26p of oil be? or butter? How much of an 88p jar of pesto can I eat for 26p? so far I have continued to resist temptation, although i've found myself opening the fridge door and staring longingly at the contents. (Urgh the fridge has frozen my peppers again. dratted fridge. not like i could eat them anyway. how much of a bell pepper could i eat for 26p? and so the stream of consciousness continues...)

Guessing what other people are eating has also been preoccupying. Lying in the bath- can I smell chips? or is it biscuit? pie? walking down the street- Is that roast dinner? mmmm. roast dinner...  I've even found myself drooling slightly over bacon and gravy described in the book I'm studying this week.

I have (for once) been experiencing actual hunger pangs before meals, possibly because I'm thinking about food more than usual, and also because i'm eating smaller portions. I've also had a headache all day (another possible use for my 26p is paracetamol). I'm wondering if it's caffine induced. Its odd how many things you consume regularly without even thinking about it, and, now that I'm thinking about food all the time, I've realised that I actually do drink quite a lot of caffinated drinks, when I get up, as a study break, if I'm cold...I've got to say, replacing it with curdly hot squash is not going down particularly well.

So far, this challenge has made me think a lot about how lucky I am. I eat food I like, interesting, colourful food, every day. Sometimes I budget a little tighter than usual, but I always have fresh, healthy, hopefully ethical food. And lots and lots of caffine. I try to always walk to and from uni, rather than using public transport, but I know that I have the option if its raining, and I'm feeling particularly weak and lazy, to get the bus. Now, I am gradually realising how many of these 'simple' things are really luxuries.

The idea of trying to live on a pound a day for the forseeable future makes me shudder, but its a reality that millions upon millions of people actually live, even raising children on their dollar a day wage.

Today I ate-

Breakfast- none.

Snacks- 2 bags of 'maize snacks'- definately not as bad as I expected.

Lunch- a tin of tomato soup and two slices of bread

Dinner- 2 small jacket potatoes with a tin of beans

Also- copious cups of curdly hot squash.

 P.S. I've been really enjoying reading everyone's blogs and seeing how they're getting on and what they're thinking. Wish my thoughts were a little more profound and a little less appetitive!

I NEED MY PHONE!!

Okay, nobody needs their phone, but I really really want it. Yeah, I know plenty of people don't have one, yes I appreciate that it is a non essential gizmo that fifteen years ago you'd have looked like a posh git holding and yes I have been doing this to remind me about the hoards of people without a voice, a home, an income, and education etc. BUT! Someone important might be trying to offer me a life-changing opportunity! I need my phone calender to tell me where I should be and what I should be doing!

Well, I am not a big-shot. Nor am I a celebrity or a politician or anything particularly important. The likelihood of me not having my phone with me causing a catastrophe or leading to me missing out on the best thing to ever happen to me is, frankly, negligible. But that doesn't stop me feeling like it's happening every minute I don't have my BB in hand.

And I also would like to know, what did people do to waste a few minutes before the smartphone came along? Is that what people used real newspapers for? The Guardian wont fit in my pocket! At work I am often on my break on my own and it has has become, well, dull.

Maybe tomorrow will be easier?

Well I thought that I was doing ok with the Vegan thing so far, I mean it has only been a couple of days. But it was after the journey home from University in the thrashing rain that I really came to notice the restrictions I have placed on my diet. I was sat on the train dreaming of coming home and indulging in a large mug of hot chocolate, exactly the medicine I need after a long day. But no this is off limits, so instead I roasted up some veg and had it with whole wheat pasta (yes that is vegan friendly) it was good and filled me up so for that I am very grateful. However as I am not a naturally healthy eater and I definitely use food as a comfort the thought of an apple instead of a good dairy rich pudding is not that appealing.

I am not turning my nose up at fruit, vegetables and lentils, I am extremely grateful for these things and I have not gone hungry yet and a kind friend gave me her vegan cook book as well so I can make lots of nice things. So far the challenge has really made me think about where my food comes and how much convenience and luxury we afford ourselves in our diets.

How about in solidarity with me, you give a luxury item up in your diet? It will make you think about how much choice you normally have over your diet, which in itself is a massive luxury that not everyone can afford.

Hello all, today is the first day of the 'What does poverty mean to you?' challenge with Oxfam and I chose to live without transportation for a week to appreciate the difficulties that many people go through just to obtain basic human rights like food and water. Not only this, but due to recent bouts of extreme weather conditions such as floods (in Pakistan for example) caused by the increase of green house gases in the climate, many people are left stranded in masses of water, their only option to try and walk miles to escape the disaster. Many of these people don't even have the option of transport and so are forced to walk for as long as it takes to attempt to get to safety. For more information click here.

Day 1: Haven't actually had to use too much transportation today so have managed to start off my challenge on a good day! I've walked to the local shop and walked into the town centre which was actually quite enjoyable as the weather has been pleasant  However, this amount of exercise (which I'm not used to!) may take it's toll over the next couple of days when I have more walking to do!

By the end of the week will I be loving the fresh air and exercise or pining for the western comforts of convenient travel?
How much transport do you use daily? 

 

I've just finished dinner, and I'm feeling alright about it.

Today I ate;

Breakfast: none. hadnt been shopping yet.

Lunch: tin of smartprice sausage and beans on toast

Dinner: pasta with some passata and a hard boiled egg. A piece of bread.

 The beige-ness of my new diet is making me a bit sad already, and i'm obsessing about food. Its odd how as soon as you're denied something you really really want it, I could murder a massive sugary doughnut. With sprinkles. I've already started making a mental list of what i'm going to eat at the end of the week. But at least I'm not hungry.

The real challenges lie ahead; how am I going to get home from work on wednesday night? what am I going to do if I run out of shampoo? How am I going to eat potatoes and beans when I go home this weekend for bonfire night? *groans at the thought of hot chocolate and gooey marshmallows and whipped cream*

Overall though I'm feeling pretty optimistic. Today hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be, although I had a moment of temptation when I went to get a saucepan and saw a bulb of garlic. Surely one clove couldn't hurt? Temptation overcome. 

I'm also quite excited about my remaining pennies. There's some smartprice strawberry jelly and some mixed dried herbs that I'm eyeing up!

Total Donations Pledged So Far: £28

Not sure I realised before today quite how much we rely on hot water, and take for granted the luxury of having running water whenever we want.

The flat was dirty when I woke today, and wanting to clean it, my first thought was to get a bowl of hot soapy water to clean and disinfect areas that needed cleaning. BUT using no hot water meant I couldn't do that. Obviously having access to soap in the first place helps with this particular case but it did help to highlight the issue here, which is the difficulty with which people living with no access to running water have to keep themselves and their homes hygienically clean and safe. A bit of dirt here or there wouldn't matter too much but it wouldn't take long for bacteria to breed and start to make places unsafe to live in. 

Such a simple point to make but it's a big problem for people living in poverty, and a problem that could potentially be solved very simply.

The worst thing about waking up this morning was the realisation that the challenge of using 'no hot water' would include sticking the kettle on for a cuppa. People living in poverty make sacrifices every day much worse than going without a brew in the morning. Going without what to some are considered unaffordable extras such as transport, heating or toiletries is a reality for many people, even in the UK, but not having a cup of tea really did give the day a bad start!                                     

Hi everyone, here's my first update on the challenge! I woke up this morning around 11 (gotta love the lie-ins) and since then I have not been allowed to speak a word. To keep in contact with the people around me, I have been using a notepad and a felt-tip pen to communicate!!

I can honestly say, with my nature, this is one of the hardest things I've ever done! I'm so vocal and so outgoing, and to have this quality restricted does instantly make me feel disadvantaged. It is nigh on impossible to stay silent in all social situations, so naturally there have been slip-ups along the way (I am only human!) but I am committed to going the distance with the challenge and letting as many people know around me why I've chosen to do this (albeit without actually talking!!)

I'll keep you posted on the week as it unfolds, tonight I have a scriptwriting meeting in my university, so keeping silent for this should go swimmingly!

P.S. I wouldn't function without this thing!! (See below)

The food shop itself was a rather harrowing experience - at first I went a bit overboard and had about £10 worth of food in the basket. SO then came the heartbreaking moment of replacing certain items on the shelves - logic won in the nutritional dilema of whether I should blow half the budget on cheese... I grudgingly bought vegetables instead.

I decided fairly early on that if there was going to one thing that I had to have during this week, then it was tea. As anyone who knows me will tell you, uncaffinated Anna is not a fun a experience. So tea is my luxury item for this week.

Items purchased:

- tea bags

- a bag of frozen veg

- 4 pints of milk

- bag of carrots

- 3 leeks

- bag of onions

- a cucumber

- box of muesli

- 1 kg of rice

And that is it. For a week.

The price of all these things came to £6.97 and there is still a little part of me that is eagerly on the look out for activities I can do/ things I buy for 3p! :)

The sad truth is that there are plenty of places in the world were people live on less than a £1 a day - and probably have to feed a family with this too! How can we let this happen?! I am doing this challenge this week out of solidarity for all those people (although I don't believe what I will experience will be anywhere near as hard as what they struggle with everyday) and I hope this will raise awareness and get people thinking...

More to come! :)

It turns out that Asda Smart Price lemon squash curdles when you put boiling water in it :(

Sponsorship Total so far: £21

I just did my asda shop for the week. I spent £6.74 and I'm really pleasantly suprised by how much food I managed to buy, even if it is all asda smart price labelled. 

So, this is what I will be eating this week;

• 75p worth of free range eggs (bulk purchase with housmates)
• 2.5kg potatoes - £1
• 4 tins chopped tomatoes- £1
• 4 tins baked beans - £1
• 1 loaf wholemeal bread- 47p
• 4 packets of chicken instant noodles- 40p
• 1 tin marrowfat peas -17p
• 1 tin cream of tomato soup- 17p
• 1 tin cream of chicken soup- 17p
• 1 tins sausages and beans -29p
• 1 bottle lemon squash- 29p
• 12 bags of 'maize snacks' - 47p
• 1 bag pasta shapes- 31p
• 1 carton passata- 25p

i probably bought too many carbs and things in tins, and definately not enough fresh things for a balanced diet, but at least i wont be hungry.

already I've started to think about the unneccessary cost of my life in things that i'm not giving up this week. I felt very guilty as i washed my hair in shampoo that cost £4.50 a bottle, and as I moisturised my legs with £12 body butter...even my £7 eczema cream is a luxury when you really think about it.

ALSO I've so far persuaded three of my lovely housemates to sponsor me! which you should all do too! If you want to sponsor me, give me a text or a message or something, 'twould be much appreciated!

x x x

So here we go with the challenge week!

What and Why?

I have decided to go vegan for a week, while I am aware that this may not seem that challenging to some, particularly those that are already vegan, I think it is really important to think about the access to food that we have. This week I cannot eat anything that has come from an animal, as to me, living in poverty means that mostly the only access you have to animals and the food they produce is by rearing your own animals and doing all the necessary things to get their produce. Therefore unless I rear or catch the animal myself I cannot have any products from an animal. So beans, lentils and soya it is then!

So far though I have still managed to have a breakfast, albeit a very healthy one (blueberries)! The challenge will come I think at lunch, when I will meet up with friends and go to a cafe. I wonder what I will be able to eat? Not a lot I imagine!

Best of luck to everyone else at Oxfam that is taking part in the challenge. It is great to see how many people care!

That means my challenge has officially started.

I've got to say, I'm a bit scared. Not only because of my new, strictly budgeted diet, but also because I've never written a blog before (other than the mandatory teenage myspace account). So, bear with me.

My first act of the challenge was to tip all of the money in my purse onto my lap, and put seven not so shiny pound coins back in. They're already looking a bit meagre.

Seven Pounds... thats nothing.

• It's 4.3 Arriva bus fares
• It's less money than the book I'm studying this week cost me
• It's less than a third of a Papa John's Extra Large Pepperoni Pizza

What am I doing!?!