Poverty. We hear the word on the news, but what does it really mean?
Better yet, do you know how it feels to be poor? What would you have to give up if you had less money than you do now?
DID YOU KNOW that over one BILLION people live on less than one dollar a day?
How do they survive? What parts of their lives are affected when they have so little? How do they feed their families or keep them healthy? Could your family survive, even for a little while with so little? How would you be able to eat? What would you eat?
Here's Ali with more...
Think About:
- What would have to give up in a day to live on one dollar? Think through your day, starting in the morning when you wake up and going through until you go to bed at night. Maybe a coffee? Lunch? Your phone?
- Would you want to try living on one dollar for even one day? Could you work with your family to try it?
- What does poverty look like where you live? What do you picture when you hear someone talk about poor people?
- What else would change if you only had one dollar a day?
- How do the problems you face in a day compare with those stuck in poverty face?
Activities:
Activity #1: Make a List
Make a list of everything you would have to give up in one day if you only had $1 to live on. That's only $365 a year which doesn't buy you much.
After you finish your list, journal a few thoughts about how you feel when you read the list.
Activity #2: Create a "First World Problems" Jar
Create a "First World Problems" Jar. First watch this video to learn what first world problems are (hint: they are problems most of the world doesn't have). Then create a jar for your family. Every time someone mentions a "first world problem" they have to donate to the jar. At the end of the month, donate the money in the jar to MGA to use to help those who have much less than you.
Activity #3: Tell Us What You Think
Send us a video or a note sharing your dream or telling us your answer(s) to one of the questions above. Use the button below to email your thoughts to us. We would love to hear from you!
Email them to: [email protected]
Activity #4: Challenges
Challenge: Live on one dollar for just one day and document it. Try even just to live on one dollar's worth of food. What did you find to eat? Document your experience in video or writing and send it to us.
Challenge: Work together with your family to try and find ways to save $1 a day by sacrificing a few things. Set that money aside. At the end of the month, donate what you saved to MGA to help girls who have much less than you.
Challenge: What can we do to help poor people around the world? Consider starting a personal fundraising campaign on your profile to raise money for us to send to an organization that helps end poverty for girls your age or helps them go to school. Because going to school helps girls break the poverty cycle their families are stuck in.
Extra Resources: Learn Even More
Kids Can Make a Difference: Find information on local and global hunger issues and how you can help.
Borgen Project: Interesting and additional facts about poverty around the globe.
One: Shocking global statistics related to poverty. See how many areas of your life are affected if you are poor.
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