I want to start this off by saying that by no means has five days of living on $1.50 a day given me a full understanding of what it’s like to live below the extreme poverty line. At all. I don’t claim to know the plight of those who have to struggle with this reality each and every day, and not just for food and drink but for all of their living costs. Food. Shelter. Education. Healthcare. Transportation...I can’t even BEGIN to imagine what that must be like.

However, I do think that taking on this challenge has been a valuable experience in getting a glimpse into the lack of choice that those living below the poverty line have to face. And how unfair and unjust that is. How by pure luck I was born into a different situation. That was my biggest takeaway.

Over the last five days I realized how much I take for granted the fact that I never need to worry about my next meal. How little thought I have to put into planning out when I can eat and how much I can portion out for myself to make it through to the next day. I guess what really stood out to me was that I still have no idea how difficult living below the extreme poverty line is. And that because I’ve been afforded agency and choice, and really for no real reason other than luck, I feel a sense of responsibility to do my part to even the playing field. That is where the second part of taking on this challenge takes place.

As I mentioned in a previous article, this challenge isn’t simply about experiential learning. It’s about taking advocacy a step further and translating awareness into impact. This takes place through the fundraising component of the challenge, where you choose to support an organization that is working to fight extreme poverty. Similar to how a marathon works, those who sign up for the challenge create a page and crowd-fund donations towards an organization of their choice that is doing amazing work to end extreme poverty.

Overall, participating in Live Below the Line has been a great experience in checking my privilege. While the world's poor are leading the movement to end extreme poverty, living below the line has provided me a tangible way that I can support incredible organizations that are on the ground, helping to propel this movement forward.

If you are interested in participating, global citizens, it's not too late to sign up! April 27-May 1 is the official week of Live Below the Line, but the challenge will go on through the end of June!