Live Below The Line 2014 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
During April/May of 2014 I decided to participate with Practical Action and Live Below The Line 2014 UK to highlight how 1 billion people around the world slept hungry every night and lived on less than one dollar a day.
The issue is one that is very close to my heart as my fairtrade work focuses on alleviating poverty.
Fairtrade supports the Sustainable Development Goals, and every individual deserves to live with dignity, respect and not spend a single night hungry.
I have summarised my experiences of the 5 day challenge below.
At the time of the challenge the exchange rate was 1GPB = 6AED.
My budget for 5 days was 30 dhirams.
QUOTE
'Someone else is happy with less than what you have.'
ANONYMOUS
Day5 - #LiveBelowTheLine2014, #Dubai, #UAE
Here is a breakdown of my food cost for Friday 2nd May 2014.
BREAKFAST
0.22 - 1 slice of toast
0.10 - tsp peanut butter
0.15 fils - fairtrade teabag
0.22 fils - 14ml cream
0.12 fils - 2 1/2 tsp sugar
Total = 0.82 AED
LUNCH
0.62 fils - 1 egg
0.22 fils - 1 slice of toast
0.5 fils - 1/4 tsp tomato ketchup
Total 0.89 AED
DINNER
1.13 AED - 300g chick peas
0.2 fils - spices
0.2 fils - 1 small onion
0.2 fils - corriander
0.2 fils - garnish
0.1 fils - a slice of tomato
0.5 fils - canola oil
0.75 fils - 75ml diet coke
0.37 fils - butter
Total 3.65 AED
Total cost for Friday 2nd May 2014 = 5.36 AED...
Balance of 8.14 AED - 5.36 = 2.78 AED
I'm very pleased I managed to eat within my weekly budget of 30 AED.
Many thanks to my dear sister Seema Bari and Zeba Qureshi from Manchester and Bolton, UK for their generous donations.
Day4 - #LiveBelowTheLine2014, #Dubai, #UAE
Here is a breakdown of my food cost for Thursday 1st May 2014.
BREAKFAST
Total = 0.00 AED
LUNCH
0.75 fils - 75g flour
15g sugar
0.37 fils - 10g butter
1.05 AED - 175 ml milk
0.05 fils - 0.5g salt
0.15 fils - fairtrade teabag
0.22 fils - 14ml cream
0.12 fils - 2 1/2 tsp sugar
Total 2.48 AED
DINNER
1 AED - 100g yoghurt
0.12 - 20ml milk
1.69 AED - 1 banana
Total 2.81 AED
Total cost for Thursday 1st May 2014 = 5.29 AED...
Balance of 13.43 - 5.29 = 8.14 AED
Day3 - #LiveBelowTheLine2014, #Dubai, #UAE
Here are my costs for Wednesday 30th April 2014.
BREAKFAST
Total = 0.00
LUNCH
0.75 fils - 75g flour
0.37 fils - 10g butter
0.15 fils - fairtrade teabag
0.22 fils - 14ml cream
0.12 fils - 2 1/2 tsp sugar
Total 1.57 AED
DINNER
1 AED - 100g yoghurt
0.75 fils - 75g rice
0.45 fils - 1 small potato
1.35 AED - 65g mixed vegetables
0.20 fils - 1 small onion
0.5 fils - spices
0.5 fils - oil
Total 3.85 AED
Total cost for Wednesday 30th April 2014 = 5.42 AED...
Balance of 18.85 - 5.52 = 13.43 AED
I was very upset when I received a message from the Live Below Line Team, UK suggesting I wasn't making an effort to raise the profile of the campaign.
I had posted on social media and contacted The National and Gulf News newspapers for support. What is a girl to do?
I felt my efforts weren't appreciated and that the team in London were unsympathetic and were oblivious to the circumstances regarding UAE social media law/regulations.
As a UAE resident I am prohibited from posting any links for donations or crowdfunding pages without the approval of the UAE government.
The automated message specified I was struggling to raise awareness and I deemed it was derogatory and inappropriate.
I was demotivated. I honestly thought the whole purpose of the 5 day challenge was to experience what its like to live below the poverty line, feel hunger and not care about how monetary targets?
Enough of my rant...
On a lighter note...
I was elated to receive a message from Nastascia Radice curator of TedxDubai, who wanted to discuss my experience as a participant of Live Below The Line Dubai, UAE and attend a Tedx Salon next month.
Unfortunately, I couldn't attend as I had to care for my mother who was coping with metastatic breast cancer.
Day2 - #LiveBelowTheLine2014, #Dubai, #UAE
Here are my costs for Tuesday 29th April 2014.
BREAKFAST
0.9 fils - 30g 0ats
0.41 fils - 1/2 a banana
1.2 AED - 15g blueberries
Total = 2.52
TEA
0.58 fils - 50g cous cous
1.51 AED - 3 baby courgettes
0.20 fils - 1 onion
0.5 fils - spices
0.5 fils - oil
Total 2.39 AED
DINNER
1.25 AED - 2 eggs
0.20 fils - 1 onion
0.5 fils - spices
0.5 fils - oil
Total 1.50
Total cost for Tuesday 29th April 2014 = 6.41 AED...
I did manage to carry a balance of 1.26 from Monday so currently I have a
balance of 18 AED and 85 fils.
It was very challenging second day as I had a terrible migraine all day.
Day1 - #LiveBelowTheLine2014, #Dubai, #UAE
A breakdown of costs for Monday 28th April 2014
NO BREAKFAST
Costs - 0.00
BRUNCH
0.44 fils - 2 slices of toast
0.37 fils - 5g of butter
0.22 fils - 15g cream
0.15 fils - fairtrade teabag
0.20 fils - 2 1/2 tsp sugar
1.35Aed - 1 apple
Total 2.73 AED
DINNER
0.5 fils - 50g rice
0.26 fils - 50g moong dal
0.5 fils - 1 onion
0.15 fils - spices
0.30 fils - oil
0.15 fils - tomatoes
0.15 fils - yoghurt
Total 2.01
Food costs for Monday 28th April 2014 = 4.74 AED...
During the first day of the challenge and I was feeling under the weather.
I just couldn't stomach any food all day.
I managed to find the strength to get to the kitchen and make myself a fairtrade brew, 2 slices of brown toast and eat a small apple.
I had a sore throat and decided to have an early night.
I prayed for a better day tomorrow, Insha'Allah, (God willing).
Thank you for supporting Practical Action and their work to help end global poverty.
Weighing my food for Live Below The Line 2014
I finally measured my ingredients for Monday's menu.
Am feeling silently confident.
Looking forward to my healthy breakfast of 30g oats, half a banana and 15g of blueberries. :)
I'm so pleased I signed up for the challenge. It was a definite eye opener into the lives of millions who live on less than 1 dollar a day. It has given me a better understanding of money, farmers, the price of food, what it means to live without daily comforts and a life without basic necessities.
From a personal perspective it was a challenging 5 days and health wise the migraine on day 2 was debilitating.
Disappointed I didn't receive any support from the Practical Action team in the United Kingdom.
I thoroughly enjoyed preparing the meals for days 4 and 5 and capturing images for this blog.
Eternally grateful to my family in the United Kingdom for supporting my campaigns and fairtrade initiatives.
Source: Practical Action
Living Below the Line challenges individuals and communities to eat and drink on just £1 a day for 5 days. By taking part you will shine a light on the 1.2 billion people who live below the extreme poverty line and help people to think differently about hunger and the choices we make every day.
In 2015, our 696 Live Below the Line participants raised over £50,000 to combat malnutrition around the world.
Will you challenge yourself and join them in the fight against hunger?
There is enough food in the world for everyone and yet tonight 1 in 9 people will go to bed hungry. We want to change the way people in the UK think about hunger and in the process raise funds to end it. By challenging yourself to live on £1 a day for food and drink, you can help us achieve this.
This August I continued to heal from my shoulder procedure (January 2022) and am learning to live with pain in my right shoulder.
My right shoulder was very painful and inflamed and I struggled to write this blog.
I attended a 2 day online webinar titled, 'Journey towards Meaningful Connectivity Exploring Value' with the Institute of Social Entrepreneurs Asia, (ISEA).
Joined the August 2023 webinar about storytelling with World Pulse.
I listened to guest speakers highlighting how to teach literacy to deaf learners from eKitabu, this session was organised by the World Literacy Foundation and Sun Books monthly webinars.
This month I continued to heal from my shoulder procedure (January 2022) and am learning to live with pain in my right shoulder.
I was very poorly and couldn't post about Plastic Free July 2023 everyday but hope to add short videos soon.
I attended a Zoom webinar titled 'The role of faith organisations tackling loneliness' organised by the Civil Society Consulting team.
Attended a Zoom webinar about social entrepreneurs and health organised by WISE women.
This month I continued to heal from my shoulder procedure (January 2022) and am learning to live with pain in my right shoulder.
I participated in the 2 day Loneliness Learning Programme organised by the Civil Society Consulting.
Attended the Fairtrade Foundation UK June 2023 Catch Up Zoom webinar.
Celebrated Eid Al Adha with my siblings.
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I'm Sabeena Ahmed owner and creator of The Little Fair Trade Shop. I've been an individual associate member of the World Fair Trade Organization since 2011 and together with my artisans I bring you a bespoke collection of ethically sourced fashion & gifts.
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