Could You Live On A Pound A Day?

23 March 2012, 06:00

A charity worker from Welwyn Garden City has spent five days living on a pound a day to raise awareness of extreme poverty.

23 year old Sabrina de Souza took on the challenge in preparation for the official global campaign Live Below The Line in May.

Live Below the Line is a campaign that aims to change the way people think about poverty and make a huge difference by challenging everyday people to live on the equivalent of the extreme poverty line for five days. This translates into £1 a day for food and drink. 

Sabrina hopes her trial run will encourage other people to take on the challenge in May. She's written a blog to document her experience with hints and tips on what food to eat at http://sabrinadesouza.wordpress.com/

Sabrina says ''I think this is a really important campaign as it really encourages people to engage with the issue. By taking part people are more likely to form a long term commitment to the issue of global poverty.

I believe it is possible to end extreme poverty so that no one has to go to bed hungry. To make a real change to poverty, we first need to understand it. The best way to understand it is it experience it for ourselves. Live Below The Line gives us this opportunity. We are all very knowledgeable about global poverty. We recognise it when we see it, and we sympathise with those suffering at its hands. But only by experiencing it for ourselves can we gain real empathy.

I think it is a really worth while cause. It's even got the attention of a lot of celebrities as well. Hugh Jackman is the global ambassador for Live Below The Line, and Bonnie Wright from Harry Potter is also a big supporter and is taking part in the challenge this year.''

For more information on Live Below The Line click here