Day 6 - "can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?...

...i could really use a wish right now."

How do we get through our darkest hours? How do we move past despair and depression? How do we manage to get up in the morning, even though we would prefer to sink into our own world in bed?

Hope. Belief. Faith.

Remember when you were younger and you used to believe in fairies? And Santa? And the Easter Bunny? I sure remember. I remember always making a wish when seeing a shooting star. And when throwing coins into fountains. And when driving in tunnels with a train going by on top. And upon finding an eyelash. And remember how you could never tell anyone because otherwise it would never come true?

I always wished for the same thing - for everyone in the world to be happy. Whether that meant that they were fed, or loved - just happy. I always hoped it would one day happen, and I still wish for the same thing.

My mum told me that she wished for no more wishes. Because she thought people wished too much for what they wanted and for things they didn't need.

Do you believe in hallucinations? Silly dreams or imaginations?

~ Angels and Airwaves

Personally, I still always wish and hope and believe in the silly imaginations. Maybe it was a childhood thing that one should grow out of, but I don't think so. My favourite restaurant, an amazing Italian one, has a fountain, and every single time we used to go when we were younger, my sister and I always would badger my parents for change so we could throw it in the fountain and make a wish. I still do.

I think it is so important to have belief and hope and faith.

I know it is so cliche, but I just want to know: do you look at the glass half full or half empty?

I just think that it is so easy to fall into a cycle of cynicism. And to think that nothing will change, and things will always stay this way, and a group of such young people can make no change. It is so easy to say that it is not our problem. It is so easy to say we hate the human race and people will always cause unfairness. It is so easy to say that there is destruction everywhere. It is so easy to blame other people and to believe the worst - perhaps so we don't get disappointed.

I know in my life I have been guilty many times of lowering my expectations or expecting the worse and of losing belief, just so that I won't be disappointed.

I just think this is the worst way to think and live though - for anyone. It is so easy to be that way, yet we need to challenge ourselves. Sure, there may be a lot of unfairness and horrible people - yet if we live our whole lives believing the worst in people, where will this get us?

We need to understand that anything in this world is possible and we can make it happen - we just need to have that faith. Faith in ourselves, that we can make change and that we can do whatever we set our mind to. Faith in each other, that we won't let each other down and that not everyone is a bad person. And faith in the human race, that working together, we can do amazing things.

We need to keep on moving. Life can totally suck sometimes, but we need to remind ourselves of how lucky we are, and that we are surrounded by loving people and that if we just reach out, there is someone there. Just for our own internal health, we need to keep this faith, and believe that things will be okay, one day.

Because what doesn't kill us, only makes us stronger.

Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope.

~ Anonymous

As an entire world, we need to have hope and faith that we can make change, because we are so powerful, and we have the resources, so we just really need to do it now. We have enough food to feed the world 1.5 times over. We have the money. We have the ability to make change and to fix everything that needs fixing. Even if you don't entirely believe poverty can be ended in our generation, you can hope for it. Why not?

I believe we can do it.

dollar25 today was actually really okay. I ate more than I normally would! I went shopping yesterday for this weeks food, and I bought heaps of CARBS. So bad, I know. I bought 3 packets of pasta, 2 loaves of bread, 2 kg of bananas and 3 cans of baked beans. I actually have stayed full all day!

Breakfast: 2 toasts and a banana

Lunch: 250g of pasta, 2 pieces of bread, some baked beans

Snacks: A piece of bread and a banana

Dinner: 250g of pasta, 2 pieces of bread, some baked beans

I think I have narrowed down the challenge of this campaign for me. At the moment it is not about being hungry. The major challenges are:

- Lack of choice/freedom: I miss being able to buy what I want, when I want. To feel like something and to just get it.

- Flavours and taste: I think we underestimate how lucky we are. So much enjoyment can be had from eating tasty and flavour-filled foods, and I miss that. Enjoyment from plain pasta and toast only lasts for so long.

Confession: I had some really strong medication and the taste was making me almost throw up so I had 2 blocks of chocolate. The meds were costly so I couldn't throw them up. Sorry :(

Anyway. In the words of Bon Jovi, keep the faith.

And in the words of Albert Einstein:

Learn from yesterday,

Live for today,

Hope for tomorrow.

Day 5 - "if you judge people, you have no time to love them."

Clearly, we are all different. Our hair colour, eye colour, race, gender, belief system, religion, childhood, job, music taste, passions - everything. Every single person is so unique to this planet and every single person has experienced a life that is their own, individual to themselves and have thoughts and experiences that no one can take away from them.

What I don't understand is why people war and fight and kill over differences. I don't understand why we can't just let people live and let live. Why must we condemn someone because of their sexuality? Or race? Or religion? What effect does their belief have on our life? I think religion can be a really great way of expressing beliefs, but I just think wars that have been over religion are so pointless and stupid.

Sure, if someone is forcing themselves and their belief down your throat, it is okay to not like that. But there are extremists in every religion and race. That does not mean we should generalise. Generalisations, even as a joke, in fact especially as a joke, are still awful. We really need to consider the effect our actions have on other peoples lives, and that maybe our one comment, that was just a joke, is really not. And it really has hurt or affected someone.

I may be a massive idealist but I just think we should love people for who they are - both on a personal and global level. No need for pretences, no need to worry about what we look like to other people, in any manner, - because, when it comes down to it, how different are we really?

We're all someones daughter, we're all someones son...

~ John Farnham

Isn't it true though? Who cares what colour your skin is! Who cares about who you love! We are all the same. So let us just love.

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

~ Mother Teresa

I love that quote. It is so true. Helping each other, we are helping ourselves, and our future, as a human race and our children and grandchildren. So why not?

On another more personal note, what do you do when things don't go your way? I found out some not-so-good news yesterday and I just don't know what to do. Obviously in life we can't always get what we want. It doesn't mean that it doesn't suck though. I suppose I just have to keep moving and look beyond it.

As for uni in my life, I am completely hating it at the moment. Everything seems so trivial, especially after the roadtrip. I am so un-motivated, and I just don't care about it. I have found my passion, and what I want to do in my life, why should I do anything else? Truthfully I actually do understand why I have to go to uni and study. But I just don't really want to. Why should I be listening about finance when all I really want to do is save the world?!

So on a dollar25 note, I am posting this the day after day 5 because I had a jam packed day yesterday. I found yesterday that eating dinner for lunch and lunch for dinner helps because then I am fuller for longer during the day. However, I went out with friends last night and absolutely STARVED. As soon as it was midnight though, I totally pigged out. Not the greatest idea, but so worth it!

I felt so bad doing that though. When can a starving child pig out? And I mean, I have been doing this for only 5 days - suck it up Priyani. 1.4 billion people do it every single day. I know I keep saying that but I just keep reminding myself that. We are really just so incredibly lucky, and I know I shouldn't feel guilty about that, but we should just remind ourselves of that once in awhile so we can forget the trivial stuff. Let's stop complaining for a little while. I know I really want to try.

So I am taking the weekend off. Back to dollar25 (or really, dollar83) on Monday. Not looking forward to it, but at the same time, I am. I have really enjoyed thinking a lot more about poverty and the different dimensions of it. And I am now sure, more than ever, that it just has got to be ended. We don't even have a choice. It needs to be eradicated, and it needs to be done now. Let's do it.

I will say good bye to you for the weekend and leave you with a quote that I have seen at the Oaktree office that inspires me every single day....

They say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.

~ Andy Warhol

Day 4 - "good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others."

Who inspires YOU?

And who is inspired by you?

Imagine how many people have been inspired by us, if we have done a good deed or made someones day. Imagine the knock on effect we could have had on someones life, without even realizing.

We all have the ability to inspire others, whether it is inspiring someone to do something they never thought they would, inspiring a lifestyle choice, a way of living, or just being inspired to be a better person. I found so many sites on the internet, "Top 10 ways to inspire people", "8 tips to inspiring people" - but I think that really, in my personal opinion, there is no formula. We just need to be the best possible people we can be. Life is so short, and so unstable, so unpredictable, and it is not like anyone gets out alive anyway, so we need to forget all the little things and troubles, and focus on happiness, of our own and of everyone else's.

Do what you love - fuck the rest.

~ Little Miss Sunshine

One person that has inspired me to be a better person is Tom O'Connor.... On the roadtrip (the Make Poverty History Roadtrip 2010) we had run out of toilet paper, and so my group and I went to Coles to buy some. Tom was in our bus and so he and I went inside. I have never seen someone be SO nice and so considerate to the checkout girl. I know it is only a really little thing, but the way that Tom was so genuinely kind, and used her name, and asked about her day - I know, if I was her, it would have made my day. Amidst all the other angry customers, the few nice ones always stand out.

Ever since then, I have tried to be a nicer, kinder person to anyone and everyone I come across, because it just makes life that much better. I know how little his action was, but it was such an eye-opener to me, and I am now forever inspired by his one action to be a better person.

Another group of people that inspired (and continue to inspire) me was my group on the roadtrip. Alex T, Alex C, Kate, Maddy, Stevie, Jackie and Jen - WOW. No words could explain my love for them. Every single one of these girls has inspired me to be a better person and have helped me believe in myself. They are each so unique and so intelligent and I feel like the luckiest group leader ever. They helped me whenever I needed and always tried to face up to the difficulties the trip threw at us.

And every single person at Oaktree inspires me. The passion that such young people have for making a difference is incredible. It is the best feeling in the world being part of such an amazing organization - I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Today was really difficult dollar25 wise (as everyday seems to be). I took the day off uni, to study, which totally failed. I started feeling weak because of the lack of food, and so I slept for a majority of the day. I was also told that because of OH&S I am not allowed to do this challenge for a month! Or I will fall sick. Which is awful, because I really wanted to. Just quietly, I am kind of relieved though.

But as much as I am hating this, I just keep thinking - 1.4 billion people (that is one FIFTH of the worlds population) is living like this every single day. And they have no other choice. This is a sickening, awful, aggravating and saddening thought. It is the most unjust, unfair thing in the world and therefore ending poverty should be the highest priority of every developed nation.

Poverty of course is a crime. Poverty is a discrimination. Poverty is worse than racism. Poverty is a social injustice. Poverty is a prison. Poverty is a destruction of human dignity. Poverty is a condemnation to death. I dream of that time when poverty is ended and I know it will be during my lifetime!

~Alphonse Toussaint

Let's change the world.

Let's make history.

Let's make poverty history.

ps. I will be setting up a sponsorship page soon to sponsor my starving of myself. [WATCH THIS SPACE]

Day 3 - 6,821,892,826 people in the world...

... sometimes you only need one.

1 in 5 young people in Australia experience depression. People are lonely and dying everyday because they can't stand their lives. With people rushing everywhere, everyday; with media blasts about the latest disasters; with broken families, hearts and homes, it is hard to not see why.

There are problems everywhere. It is so hard to work out what to believe and what to follow and how to be happy, when there are issues all around us. I don't have all, or any, of the answers. I am trying to find my way too. Trying to do what I can that makes me feel like I am worthwhile and like what I do matters.

Being one person out of six billion, eight hundred and twenty one million, eight hundred and ninety two thousand, eight hundred and twenty six people makes me feel very small. But every person counts. And that is what we need to remind ourselves, and everyone around us - you matter, and you are not alone.

People want to feel loved and cared for. Whether it is a starving child or a lonely old man. In the words of one of my favorite songs...

Send them your heart - so they know that someone cares; And their lives will be stronger and free.

~ Michael Jackson & The Aid for Africa Campaign

We need to unite, as one world. Because we are all the same. We all live and we all die. We all breath and we all bleed, and we all eat and we all need love. All over the world, we need to remind every single person, every family, every society and community, every country - we are not fighting this fight alone. We are all in it together.

I have only recently realized the impact that people have on my everyday life. I try and look for the little things that make my day happy, and the different people in my life really make a difference. If I was surrounded by people I love and doing what I love, I think I would like to stay that way forever.

People that made my day today:

- Nick and Viv: showing their support and concern.

- Margie: we have never really conversed properly and we did today for ages, and it was nice getting to know her.

- Ella Pope: always makes me happy. Just seeing her today made me happy.

- Random girl on the train: Laughing with me even though we don't know each other :)

- All the people that posted on my facebook/blog: I love you all.

Okay, blog = way too long right now... Quick summary of today:

Difficult. Hard. Nutrition = zero. Energy = zero. Concentration = zero. Delusional. Funniest Oaktree meeting with Steph Lee (also on $1.25 at the moment) ever.

Dangerzone because exams are coming up. Don't know if I will last - should I stop for exams?

May take weekends off, i.e. 5 days on $1.25 and then two day break. Thoughts?

And if you didn't read any of my blog just please remember:

You are not alone.

try to make someone feel that way tomorrow.

we are the world...

it's true we make a better day: just you and me.

Day 2 - does it count if i eat my hand?

Poverty n the state of being without enough food or money; lack of, scarcity.

Poverty. As defined by the Collins Australian Dictionary.

I'm stumped as to what to say. It's a little 2D, no?

Poverty. There is so much more. Poverty is not just about a lack of material possessions. It is the lack of security. The lack of comfort. The lack of choice. The lack of dignity. The desperation. The instability and the feeling that if anything went wrong, there is no way to fix it.

Tom O'Connor, CEO of the Oaktree Foundation, puts this really well in the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHNv3LhvcsI

Living on $1.25 has not only made me hungry but it has put limitations on my everyday life. Normally, I would buy what I wanted when I wanted. I saw something I wanted or that I felt like eating, and I would buy it. I feel so spoilt and so rotten saying that. But it is how we live. With choice and freedom. And because of this, poverty is not just about going hungry. It is the constraints and the reality is, it is a condition that prevents one from really living properly.

Today I was told that because the $1.25 is in US dollars, I am allowed more than I have been eating. According to the Purchasing Power Parity index, I am actually allowed $1.83. Meaning I have an extra 58c. Tempted by the chocolate bars at Oaktree, I have been bargaining with myself. One bar is $2.02. I have 58c. I am allowed a quarter? I think I will let myself enjoy this quarter.

This made me think though (as a lot of things do these days) - I have the ability to bargain and choose. What if I didn't? What if I was really living below the line? Like the 1.4 billion people that do it everyday. Suddenly I wasn't so hungry.

Today was really difficult. Especially since I had to empty all the leftover food from the roadtrip into the bin :( It smelt so good, and I felt like eating it all, regardless of whether it was a week old or not. Towards the end of the day I was starving. But the thing was I wasn't looking forward to eating. Because I knew that even if I ate, I would not be satisfied. This really was an awful thought to me, because I love eating, and I look forward to eating and I enjoy the smells and tastes of all different foods.

There are so many different dimensions of poverty that one doesn't really think about or consider.

On amazingly good news, Nestle has stopped using palm oil in its products! Yay! Finally they have done something right.

I feel like we can really make change. That our actions matter and that we can make a difference. Our voice is being listened to.

My voice is strong, and I have a choice - to sing aloud for those without a voice. And I promise you that you are not alone - and I promise you that you are not alone.

~ Freya Morgan and the Connections Choir

On the train today, a random guy started talking to me about the meaning of life. He was really nice and impressed with Oaktree. It was a really odd conversation and really out of the blue, but it is these kinds of random acts that make my day. The little, nice, quirky things really matter, especially when I am going to the city and back everyday, full of people that are rushing from place to place, with no manners.

Anyway. I am off to watch gossip girl and eat my one quarter of my chocolate.

Until tomorrow, in the words of the latin tagline of my ex high school -

Factis non Verbis.

deeds not words.

Day 1 - ready, set, starve.

WOW. What a day. Day 1 and I am already hungry all the time.

Breakfast was a kiwi, lunch was a carrot and 2 slices of bread and dinner was 100g of pasta, a few kidney beans and another 2 slices of bread.

It has only been one day and this campaign already has me thinking way outside my usual square. Although I never was at a point of starvation (except towards the end of the day), I was never satisfied. The tiny bits of food I ate kept me going, but never full or happy.

Food was also always on my mind. All I could see when I looked around was food, people eating food, smells of food, eateries, fast food restaurants, my families dinner - it never ended. I kept forgetting I was doing this and imagined all the food I would eat for lunch.

And it just made me think, because in my life I have distractions - uni, friends, sport. But what if I was living on $1.25 for real, and not just for food? Imagine how awful that would be. I would have no distractions and my stomach would be on my mind always.

Can one ever get used to the feeling of hunger?

My campaign has gained awareness from a lot of my friends, and I think this campaign will be really successful, because it breaks the barriers of developing and developed, first and third world - it crosses the line. The poverty line.

On another note - I saw a beggar today and an elderly woman commented snidely to me, "just a common beggar." This really affected me. What was the real difference between her and the beggar? Aren't we all people that deserve the same rights?

At the end of the game, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.

~ Italian Proverb

This is why I am doing this, and what keeps me going. We all deserve the same, basic human rights. FOOD is not something to die over. No one should die just because they are hungry. It is pathetic, especially since we have enough food to feed the world 1.5 times over.

I think I will go to bed early tonight. The lack of food is making me tired and weak, and it has only been one day. There is no doubt that I can survive this. But it's not going to be easy...

It's going to be a long month.

Day 0 - decisions, decisions.

1.4 billion people live on less than US$1.25 a day. Every 3 seconds a child dies. We know the stats. We’ve heard the heart wrenching stories. But until we experience it, can we ever really understand?

dollar25 is a campaign the Oaktree Foundation is running. It has inspired me to live on $1.25 (for food) for as long as I can, because I want to gain a true understanding about what I am fighting and campaigning for. My goal is a month (30 days) and I know it can be done. I have a passion to help end extreme poverty and I have committed my life to it.

Today I went shopping for 5 days worth of food - $6.25. This will last me until Friday. I bought 2 kiwi fruit, 2 apples, 1kg of carrots, a loaf of bread, 500g of pasta and 400g of kidney beans. The process of choosing the fruit was gruelling - so, so difficult. It took me forever, because one extra piece of fruit and I was 5c, 10c over. It really made me think about how to us, 5 or 10 cents is nothing, but in the bigger picture, it actually is a lot.

So here I go. About to have the biggest meal of my life tonight, ready to embark on dollar25 tomorrow, and for the next month.

Wish me luck.