Living below the line: Days 4 & 5 (last day!)
Day 4
Breakfast:
Weetbix and warm milk .39 cents
tea .02 cents
Snack:
Apple .12 cents
Dinner:
pap .11 cents
beans .41 cents (yikes!)
4 slices of toast .16 cents (should've stuck with just two)
instant coffee .04 cents
Total for the Day: $1.25
Day 5
Breakfast:
Weetbix and warm milk .39 cents
1/2 instant coffee .02 cents
Lunch:
Peanut Butter and Jam sandwich .25 cents
juice box .10 cents
mini bag of peanuts .10 cents
the juice box and peanuts were provided by SHAWCO, an organization I volunteer with. I do not believe they would give us anything more expensive than .25 cents each and the bags came with two chewy candy bars too, that I just gave away.
Dinner:
pap .11 cents
beans .41 cents (so expensive! Should not have bought canned)
half serving of coffee .02 cents
Total for the Day: $1.40
Today is the last day! I am so excited to have a large bowl of cereal for breakfast tomorrow, some yummy sandwiches, hot meals with seasonings, and maybe even eat out! I am unfortunately out of milk and a lot of my basic foods so I will need to go grocery shopping, but I am definitely going to be more conscious of the food I buy and how much I spend.
As you can see above I was unable to write a blog yesterday. I was so hungry from missing lunch because I had a busy day volunteering in Manenberg township that I was irritable when I got home. I also had to work on an assignment and didn't want too much distraction. It is hard to focus when so much of your energy is spent thinking about food. Yesterday was my last day of the semester working with the 4th and 5th grade students in Manenberg. We spent our last day making a big collage and playing games outside. When the volunteers handed the children their lunches yesterday I wanted to jump into the chaos and snatch some myself... then I realized the kids are probably hungrier than I was, and suddenly I didn't feel so hungry.
Today was also a difficult day and, as you can see, I kind of cheated with snacks. I still managed to stay under budget, but that is with my estimated price for the juice box and mini bag of peanuts. Today was my last day of the semester volunteering with the 6th students of Oranjekloof in Hout Bay and we took them to see Kirstenbosch Gardens. I had just as much fun as them as we experienced the garden for the first time together. They were so excited to discover frogs and baby ducks, and could help but chase all the guinea hen. When 12 o'clock came around everyone, including the volunteers, were given a bag of one juice box, a mini bag of peanuts, and two candy bars. Out of fairness, I didn't want to give my bag to another student in front of the 80+ other students but I did manage to distribute a few candy bars from my bag. I was also very hungry and appreciated my peanuts and Litchi juice (a fruit I had never heard of in the states but quite popular here).
I am currently reading a book called Somehow Tenderness Survives, a compilation of short stories written in Apartheid South Africa. One story I came across that struck me as relevant to my current self-induced hunger issue, and the issue billions of people suffer with every day. The story is called Crackling Day. (Crackling is a South African food):
"Hunger was an enemy too, but one with whom we could come to terms, who had many virtues and values. Hunger gave our pap, moeroga, and crackling feast-like quality. When it was not with us, we could think and talk kindly about it. Its memory could even give moments of laughter. But the cold of the winter was with us all of the time.."
This quote helps me to reflect on the past 5 days and reminds me that although it is almost over, I should never forget this experience. Every time I get a hunger pain in my stomach, I will be thankful that there is food waiting for me at home, even when I consider the pantry to be relatively empty. It is evident in the above quote that hunger is not the only issue people in poverty have to face, but it is one that I can grapple with as I complete this challenge. The ultimate challenge would be to spend a week living in complete poverty in the cold with minimal shelter, limited clean water, and lack of means for hygiene...
Joey and I have raised over $130 dollars so far toward the Rainforest Foundation. This foundation supports those living in poverty due to deforestation. If you would like to learn more about the foundation, where the donations go, and personal stories, click on the link below and visit the Rainforest Foundation page. Although our journeys have come to an end, the struggle against poverty is not over. Please support the cause and make a small donation: https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/joeybelanger
You are also invited to follow his blog at www.joeybelowtheline.blogspot.com
Breakfast:
Weetbix and warm milk .39 cents
tea .02 cents
Snack:
Apple .12 cents
Dinner:
pap .11 cents
beans .41 cents (yikes!)
4 slices of toast .16 cents (should've stuck with just two)
instant coffee .04 cents
Total for the Day: $1.25
Day 5
Breakfast:
Weetbix and warm milk .39 cents
1/2 instant coffee .02 cents
Lunch:
Peanut Butter and Jam sandwich .25 cents
juice box .10 cents
mini bag of peanuts .10 cents
the juice box and peanuts were provided by SHAWCO, an organization I volunteer with. I do not believe they would give us anything more expensive than .25 cents each and the bags came with two chewy candy bars too, that I just gave away.
Dinner:
pap .11 cents
beans .41 cents (so expensive! Should not have bought canned)
half serving of coffee .02 cents
Total for the Day: $1.40
Today is the last day! I am so excited to have a large bowl of cereal for breakfast tomorrow, some yummy sandwiches, hot meals with seasonings, and maybe even eat out! I am unfortunately out of milk and a lot of my basic foods so I will need to go grocery shopping, but I am definitely going to be more conscious of the food I buy and how much I spend.
As you can see above I was unable to write a blog yesterday. I was so hungry from missing lunch because I had a busy day volunteering in Manenberg township that I was irritable when I got home. I also had to work on an assignment and didn't want too much distraction. It is hard to focus when so much of your energy is spent thinking about food. Yesterday was my last day of the semester working with the 4th and 5th grade students in Manenberg. We spent our last day making a big collage and playing games outside. When the volunteers handed the children their lunches yesterday I wanted to jump into the chaos and snatch some myself... then I realized the kids are probably hungrier than I was, and suddenly I didn't feel so hungry.
Today was also a difficult day and, as you can see, I kind of cheated with snacks. I still managed to stay under budget, but that is with my estimated price for the juice box and mini bag of peanuts. Today was my last day of the semester volunteering with the 6th students of Oranjekloof in Hout Bay and we took them to see Kirstenbosch Gardens. I had just as much fun as them as we experienced the garden for the first time together. They were so excited to discover frogs and baby ducks, and could help but chase all the guinea hen. When 12 o'clock came around everyone, including the volunteers, were given a bag of one juice box, a mini bag of peanuts, and two candy bars. Out of fairness, I didn't want to give my bag to another student in front of the 80+ other students but I did manage to distribute a few candy bars from my bag. I was also very hungry and appreciated my peanuts and Litchi juice (a fruit I had never heard of in the states but quite popular here).
I am currently reading a book called Somehow Tenderness Survives, a compilation of short stories written in Apartheid South Africa. One story I came across that struck me as relevant to my current self-induced hunger issue, and the issue billions of people suffer with every day. The story is called Crackling Day. (Crackling is a South African food):
"Hunger was an enemy too, but one with whom we could come to terms, who had many virtues and values. Hunger gave our pap, moeroga, and crackling feast-like quality. When it was not with us, we could think and talk kindly about it. Its memory could even give moments of laughter. But the cold of the winter was with us all of the time.."
This quote helps me to reflect on the past 5 days and reminds me that although it is almost over, I should never forget this experience. Every time I get a hunger pain in my stomach, I will be thankful that there is food waiting for me at home, even when I consider the pantry to be relatively empty. It is evident in the above quote that hunger is not the only issue people in poverty have to face, but it is one that I can grapple with as I complete this challenge. The ultimate challenge would be to spend a week living in complete poverty in the cold with minimal shelter, limited clean water, and lack of means for hygiene...
Joey and I have raised over $130 dollars so far toward the Rainforest Foundation. This foundation supports those living in poverty due to deforestation. If you would like to learn more about the foundation, where the donations go, and personal stories, click on the link below and visit the Rainforest Foundation page. Although our journeys have come to an end, the struggle against poverty is not over. Please support the cause and make a small donation: https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/joeybelanger
You are also invited to follow his blog at www.joeybelowtheline.blogspot.com
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| peanuts and Litchi juice |
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| pap and beans |
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| much needed instant coffee |
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| cup of instant coffee |
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