For 1.4 billion people living in the world today, subsisting on such an impossibly tiny figure is a fact of daily life. And from May 16-20, this struggle will become reality for a small but passionate group of Oregon State University students who have teamed up to take a stand to end extreme poverty.
The eager army of Beavs is participating in a nationwide challenge called “Live Below the Line.” Live Below the Line is an event organized by the Global Poverty Project, an international movement to see the end of extreme poverty within a single generation. Until now, such a goal has always been economically impossible to accomplish. In an effort to raise awareness and funds for the Global Poverty Project to help developing nations to permanently rise above the line of extreme poverty, each member of the team, which calls itself “The BeaLIVErs,” will spend no more than $1.50 a day on food.
“Living below the line is more than just some diet,” explained David Fleming, a 19-year-old psychology major who belongs to the BeaLIVErs team. “It’s a way to learn empathy and gratitude.”
The team is representing our school well. While taking the challenge, participants typically ask family and friends if they would like to sponsor them to raise money for the Global Poverty Project. The BeaLIVErs, a group of fewer than 30 individuals, is currently ranked among the top-four fundraising teams in the country. Anyone who ever doubted that a small group of young people had the power to change the world was clearly unfamiliar with the giant-slaying determination of OSU students.
With my peers’ enthusiasm as my inspiration, I’ve decided to join the BeaLIVErs team. I want to participate not only in protest of extreme poverty, which I believe to be the most monstrous injustice in our world today, but also as an attempt to understand someone else’s suffering. There is no reason why I was born into a life of privilege and opportunity while 1.4 billion people must juggle the cost of food, healthcare and education on a daily budget of $1.50. The things I worry about every day are incredibly trivial in comparison to those daily hardships, and my challenge is to remind myself of their reality.
Many LBL participants agree that gaining a new perspective on poverty is a crucial part of making a global impact.
“I want to raise awareness for an important global issue and to experience what hunger really is,” explained Alex Schulz, a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and a junior at OSU.
“I am doing Live Below the Line to grow in compassion with those who are living in poverty,” added Monica Kolinska, also a junior at OSU. “Every person who says they cannot live on $1.50 a day is testimony to the fact that no one should have to. And we can help change that.”
The key word, of course, is “we.” No one person can tackle such an overwhelming problem alone, but when a committed group of people work together to make a change, the results can be staggering.
“I am living below the line so I can experience what 1.4 billion people have to deal with every day,” said Troy Love, an OSU construction and engineering management major. “I am hoping my small contribution will motivate others to end global poverty forever.”
For those who want to join the fight against extreme poverty, you can become a part of our team at livebelowtheline.com. Even if you’re not sure your belly can handle five days of rice, beans and ramen, you can still help The BeaLIVErs make a difference by making more modest sacrifices, like giving up your daily coffee one morning and donating the $3 you save to the cause.
As Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Changing the world begins with a change from within. In participating in this eye-opening experience, we hope to change our perspectives and thus change the world. We want to take a stand and bring an end to this suffering, and nothing would make us more proud than knowing our fellow students have chosen to stand with us.
Molly Jones is a junior in English. The opinions expressed in her columns do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Barometer staff. Jones can be reached at forum@dailybarometer.com.