PovertyChallenge

So with my week of women taking ownership of my choices ending rather tamely, I will use this, the last of my blogs to try and reflect on the week gone by.

Why has it been an ongoing struggle to find anything noteworthy to blog on?

Is it due to my own lack of commitment? maybe partially.

Is it to do with the lack of willing of the women around me to give me tasks and chores? Quite possibly

Mrs Trunchball would have been a legend of my poverty challenge!

I ultimately feel the problem lay with the premise of the challenge- trying to replicate the social norms of an entirely different context. Choice is not a tangible commodity like food, money and hot water  as sacrificed by my fellow poverty challengers, rather it is the complex result of historical processes. We can look all around the world and throughout history to spot differing social views of race, class, caste and age. To understand how these social norms came about, is a truly mammoth task.

Within this complexity however there are many rather more simple conclusions that can be drawn.

It is resoundingly wrong that women all over the world are facing unequal access to health, education, equity, and resources. Oxfam supports a broad array of work helping women to overcome the discrimination they face, and secure their basic rights. This is crucial for the simple reason of material support, and also as a process of empowerment.

Steve Biko once asserted- "the most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the minds of the oppressed", as the Black Consciousness Movement is widely credited as a pivitol turning point in the struggle against Apartheid, through installing a sense of pride and self worth amongst oppressed people deprived of power and control. I regard this to resonate strongly with issues of gender inequality- poverty and power are intrinsically interlinked.

History has shown that change does come. Anti-Apartheid, the Civil Rights Movement and the Suffragettes all exemplify historic victories in a struggle for empowerment which challenged social norms in the process. I believe change will come again.

I leave on a final call to action, if we join together we really can overcome the global gender inequality documented in this blog. After my challenge I can categorically conclude that that this can be done with or without a glittery, pink purse in your pocket. 

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/

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.

Well it's been a few days since I have blogged (it's been a really busy week!) but that's not to say it's been any easier...the cold showers have without a doubt been the hardest thing about this week!  I thought I'd get used to it in some way...but I haven't!  I do find it slightly easier to have a cold shower in the evening rather than the morning so I have been doing that instead but I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to waking up tomorrow and having a nice warm shower!!

Cooking has been pretty hard like I thought it would be!  I've had to be quite creative and always planning ahead.

I've been quite lucky with heating - my flat has generally been quite warm, it's only really been cold first thing in a morning.

It's been really great to read everyone elses experiences and it has really helped to motivate me through the week - thank you all!

6 days of walking around with my pretty, glittery purple purse I have become used to the looks and smirks that accompany an accessory usually associated with pre-teenage girls. This time however, has categorically not enabled me to acclimatise to the complex practicalities of actually using the thing. I mean there just isn't enough space for cards, coins, notes, and receipts. Completely absent of any organisation- it seems to be designed so that the coin you really want will situate itself firmly in the realms of the most inaccessible corner...

There's just simply not enough space!!!

I am also beginning to suspect the women around me will be a little sad when my poverty challenge is over. Spending perhaps as much time on errands to the shop and tea runs as at my desk, I certainly had practical use. My sporadic 'choices' to break into renditions of the national anthem whilst skipping up and down the hallway I can only hope served some purpose of 'morale boosting'.

With a Saturday filled with sport and socialising- and crucially no-one with a need or desire to instruct me to do anything else, I find my challenge again undermined by the freedom allowed to me in terms of readily available social opportunities. I wonder what proportion of women worldwide have the same, almost unconstrained, access to sport and leisure?

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.

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 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!

Today has been a tough one!! I handed in my first two pieces of MA coursework and made a voyage up to Edinburgh in the torrential rain, totally unprepared for the fact that every single food outlet on the East Coast isn’t Vegan friendly!! So I survived on a peppermint tea and some crackers and hummus.

For the first time all week I have felt really hungry and lethargic, possibly due to the distinct lack of protein in my diet. In turn this made me think about the West African Food crisis and how hungry the people must feel there. A lot more than me I imagine.

Choice has been severely limited today and really made me think about how much choice I normally have and quite frankly take for granted. I even took to googling ‘Vegan Chocolate’ earlier. Hard times!

Bonfire night tomorrow though and I am pretty sure that I am allowed a toffee apple!! Yippee!!

For more information on the West African Food Crisis and what Oxfam is doing to help have a look at:  http://www.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam_in_action/emergencies/west-africa-food-crisis2010.html

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 

Some time back now, at this very time of year, the explosion of a firework close to a tree gave a squiirel such a fright that it fell straight off a branch- coming unervingly close to bonking me on the head. This is of course no comparison to the hardship currently being suffered by Sakineh Ashtiani facing death row in Iran for the alleged crime of committing adultery, but a hardship all the same. Now imagine my despair when 'chosen' to put on a frankly daunting giant squirrel head and do star jumps in the office.

... how the memories come flooding back.

This is the standout of a day in the office where demands, some more irrational than others, were in full supply. Tasked with paying compliments to unsuspecting members of the public, embarking upon disproportionate levels of tea runs, sent on a mass chocolate purchase, and finally a sprint in the rain for an ultimately unsuccesful attempt of giving my colleague a hug goodbye.

I remain very conscious that todays absence of choice was all in good spirits, in fact actively encouraged for the purpose of stumbling upon something of interest to note in this blog. I am also aware that my office environment is one of mutual respect and understanding, a feeling sadly not universally replicated.

What a day: cleaning, cooking, tidying, working... might as well start calling me Cinderella!

Not quite. But the chores I did embark upon were made all the more tedious for coming in addition to a day of work where I have travelled to North Yorkshire and back chatting to the public about worldly issues from the Oxfam shop. Admittedly I did find the time to watch a full football game on the tv, but I would like to feel as if I have somehow faced the Double Shift that many women around the world have as an everyday reality. That of holding an unequal share of household and child care duties, when already having paid employment.

At least I can rest in the knowledge that my chores have spread some happiness today.

Upon my mums gleeful instruction, I had no choice but to tackle the bomb-sight that is my 'not quite unpacked from leaving University despite being home a number of months now' area outside my bedroom.

I made good of my promise to the girls I stay with in Manchester that I would cook for them tomorrow night, despite a clashing social arrangement. My only option was to cook a lasagne this evening and keep it refrigerated until I dropped it over to them.

More washing up, though I am actually growing to enjoy it, kind of relaxing you see.

So now I can only await my fate of an office tomorrow who I cannot help but suspect may have plenty of 'choices' to throw my way.

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. 

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.

Just a quick update.

Finding it a bit harder than I thought I would - showering is haaaard!  Having to dip in and out - didn't realise how cold it would feel!!

Food and heating aren't really a problem yet though I am shivering when I wake up in the morning!

We'll see what tomorrow has in store!

So before I started to write, I had a good old flick around my fellow poverty challengers recap's of their days. Reading tales of sacrifice, hunger, and discomfort- I could not help but feel that for all my rhetoric and good intentions, all I have really discovered is that finding ways to have 'my choice' decided elsewhere, really is a challenge in itself.

Yes I have been forced far closer to dog defecation than I ever wish to be. 

Yes my fingers are feeling a little wrinkled for the extra washing up I have been allocated.

Yes I was responsible for causing utter confusion to a stranger on the train by asking her where I could sit for my journey (that the carriage was almost empty did not help matters).

But is this really an exercise relating to the disempowerment of women across the globe? Being honest, No.

This may in part be due to the good nature of those women I have thus far found myself in the company of, but really I feel the problem is within the context of my task. With my challenge taking place in conditions where economic comfort and majority opinion gift both men and women a great freedom of opportunity, trying to manipulate a suppression of 'choice' is just not quite natural.

Today a good friend of mine, herself a feminist scholar, sent me a link to a wonderful video detailing how understandings of womanhood impacts upon the education, health and ultimately lives of women in poverty around the world. This really emphasised to me how social expectations and norms really do shape opportunities and ultimately 'choice' for women in poverty.

So now in my pre-sleep contemplations, I am full of gratitude for the continued; opportunities, resources, and support- that have allowed my sister to recently find a great job in a profession of her choosing. I am also full of hope that one day sisters all over the planet will have access to the same.

I am simultaneously frantically thinking of ways to liven up my challenge...

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.

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

Well, here goes!  My challenge is to spend a whole week without using hot water...

There isn't too much to report today - so far I've managed pretty well with a little extra thought.  The three things that I think will really test me this week are:

1) The shower situation!  I had a brief wash in the shower this morning but can't say I'm looking forward to washing my hair tonight!

2) Meal times...I'm going to have to think carefully about what to eat as most of my meals do usually involve some form of boiling water (veg, pasta, etc).

3) Heating - or lack of!  I switched the heating off last night so I'll be wrapping up warm and the winter duvet is out.

Anyway, I'm off now to face my big challenge for day 1 - washing my hair!

Then it's off to bed ready for day 2...

Today started off as normal, after having my last luxurious sleep in my bed for the next week! Part of my challenge is to only eat a very basic diet, consisting of rice, beans and a small amount of fruit etc. I think that normally I wouldn't have found this so hard, but I am working in a food warehouse as part of my gap year- this does not help at all when you are hungry!

Having very little food, only for one day so far, I noticed how lethargic I felt and how little energy I had. People in developing countries such as India, who have to work the land to make ends meet and walk 6km for every 20 litres of water they use must feel constantly drained! A viscious circle of hunger, dropping out of education, illness and ever increasing poverty exisits in many nations around the world. For more information on food security visit Oxfam's campaign http://sowtheseed.net/

Another part of my challenge is to sleep on the floor- tonight is my first night! Wish me luck x

Day 1- 7: 25 am - RINGDING- the sound of alarm, away, snooze you horrible thing.

  7:30 am- RINGDING, I push through the groggily phase of consciousness. I realise where I am Georgie's (the girlfriend) house in a Highworth, Wiltshire. I remember my scheduled dog walk at this very time. But try as I might, I just... can't... get... up. 

Georgie's remonstrations highlighting the many women in the world that don't get to choose to stay in bed when they feel tired, fall on deaf ears. I am gone to the world. zzzz

8 30 am- Finally out of bed and with my tail firmly between my legs I make the breakfast- Porridge and coffee for her, toast and tea for me. Not what you may call  debilitating, but I make it through my first task nonetheless. Then it's off to Oxford I go for a training session at Oxfam House. 

10 30 am- I announce the terms of my task to an overwhelmingly female training group. I listened closely and was certain that I could hear a collective consideration of ways the rest of my day could be 'chosen'.

12 30 pm- Lunch at Oxfam house. The lovely Hannah takes charge of my choice. Seeded bagueete (no butter) tuna (no mayo) cheese (no salad), albeit dry but a picnic compared to what she was eating for her challenge

 13 30 pm- My team win an ever so pretty purse as a prize. The group unanimously decide it should 'chosen' as my replacement wallet for the rest of the week.

matches my eyes no?

 16:00- I meet Georgie and some friends in town. They choose for me to have a cup of tea AND a beer. Too nice some may say....

19 00- With dinner already prepared, all that is left for me to do is the washing up. Though this was technically instructed, it perhaps was just common courtesy.

On the whole a modest start, easing me into my challenge. Though I do expect that with my journey back up north tomorrow will come far tougher turns- I can only live in fear of what the women of Oxfam North Campaigns have in store.

But before then I am definitely walking the dog tomorrow morning... yes, definitely!!

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!

My challenge for the week is no heating and I shall sleep on the floor!

Whilst sitting at a computer writing an essay on the impact of global inequality on human welfare, I received an email about the poverty challenge. I suddenly realised what I was writing about seemed so abstract and surreal to me; little more than words. I can, and frequently do, regurgitate numerous statistics about poverty and inequality but I have absolutely no idea what they mean in reality. Whilst I am in no way suggesting the poverty challenge will constitute some form of great enlightenment, I am hoping it will give me a personal insight into what it means to experience some aspects of poverty.

I'm going to ask my MP Marsha Singh what she thinks about my challenge ... what do you think about my challenge?

This next week is going to be a HUGE, but exciting challenge for me! I am challenging myself to sleep on the floor, use only one hours worth of electricity and eat a very basic diet. Millions upon millions of people around the world have no access to a nice comfy bed, a varied nutrious diet and available electricity. Hopefully by taking part in this challenge, I along with the other participants of 'What does Poverty mean to you?' will highlight the need for change in the world. I'm sure the next week will be difficult at times but many people have no choice about living in these circumstances! I shall be interested to hear the opinions of my local community and my MP Craig Whittaker (who I shall be meeting next week!), regarding the forthcoming challenge! Heres to the next week!

CARE-CHALLENGE-CHANGE

My chalenge is that I will live without hot water for a week

The reason Im taking part is that I would like to raise awareness about how much water is wasted when people living in poverty often have no access to clean, safe water.

I live in Leeds  and will ask my MP Hillary Benn to comment on my challenge - what do you think?

There are so many reasons that people can't sleep. They are stressed, they are uncomfortable, they lack shelter, they are cold, they are kept awake by hunger, they have to work very long hours, they have to share their space with lots of people. I will be sleeping on the floor this week, to experience just some of the discomfort felt by people both abroad and right here in the UK.

My challenge is to live as a vegan for a week.

I am aware this may not seem like a huge challenge as a proportion of people are vegan, but I feel like this will be a huge personal challenge. I am also going to work for a sweatshop wage when I work on sunday and donate the rest of the money to Oxfam!

I live in Leeds and will be asking my MP Stuart Andrew what he think about it ... what do you think?

My challenge is that all my decisions must be made or approved by a woman

Through my challenge I seek to empathise and relate to women living without freedom of choice around the world, and question social processes that continue to shape gender expectations.

I live in Leeds and will ask my MP Fabian Hamilton what he thinks about this ... will he respond?