Thursday, July 5, 2012

day 23: reminding myself

Tonight I'm exhausted and hungry. So I need to remind myself why I'm doing this. I'm doing this because I know we can make a difference. We just need someone to show us the way. In my own little way, the best I know how, I'm trying to do that here. I'm trying to say, there's a way, I've seen it, we're making progress, follow me. And with this little blog and a challenge to eat on just $1/day for 30 days, going barefoot all the while, I'm getting your attention a little bit. And with that attention, we've already raised $5,100 for these kids. This has really blown me away. With these funds, 10 children previously sifting through the trash looking for recyclables will embark on a new journey of hope, at The Children's Hope Center in the slums of Hyderabad, India.

This is all wonderful news. But as I look into the eyes of the children in the below photo, I'm motivated to ask us to consider that surely we can do more. If we've rescued 10 children in the first 23 days of this challenge, could we not rescue at least one more, two more, hey, why not 10 more? It's my passion to do as much as I possibly can through rallying a movement of concerned individuals like yourself, challenging us to rise up, to resist our own indifference, to be a part of the solution for extreme poverty. And here, we have a very tangible way to achieve victory in this battle, one child at a time! Come on, let's go!



Judging from my previous 2 challenges, this last week will be the hardest part of the 30 days. Supplies are starting to run thin, and the taste of the same list of 12 ingredients is starting to get a little monotonous. But for me, it would be all worth it if we see just one more child beyond this 10 rescued by way of another scholarship. Would you consider chipping in just whatever you can afford? We've had several smaller donations come in that have all added up and made a difference!

So what's stopping you from chipping in even $1, $5, or $10? If you think it cannot make a difference, just think about what I'm achieving for $1/day. Imagine the impact even a dollar would have in conditions like you've seen in my photos, then imagine $5, or imagine what $10 could do... each dollar representing about a day's earnings among them! Imagine the joy of a parent in the slums who has learned that their child has been chosen for a scholarship worth 500 days' wages!

On to the daily recap of what I was able to cook up with $1. Settling in to some favorite recipes while getting a few inspirations here and there for new creations. My strategy is to trick my taste buds into thinking they're getting something different, when in fact is just another combination of the same 12 ingredients.

Breakfast. Tried the carrot & raisin oatmeal again and, thanks to a little season-all, it was a pretty solid option as usual. I warmed some beans and rice, seasoned and threw on a fried egg--with the homemade corn chips, not bad. A little dry but it was enough to get the day started.


Lunch. Fried rice with cabbage, carrots and ramen noodles. Tostada with refried beans. A good and filling lunch for about 33 cents. All things considered, not bad at all.


Dinner. Had to think in terms of variety, so I went with the re-fried beans and rice combo, with homemade corn chips. Had a little pasta with light sauce, and four slices of potato lightly fried and seasoned. It was very tasty!



Take Action!

1) Please consider giving toward my goal of 10 scholarships for children of the Indian slums. We surpassed our initial goal of $5,000 to cover 10 scholarships, but I want to keep going to see how many more scholarships we can come up with! Every little bit helps!

2) Please visit my unofficial sponsor, Amazon.com through this link. 7% of your purchases made through the link are given to Peace Gospel. If you're in the UK, use this link.


3) If you're compelled by my effort here, please share it with friends. One of the main goals is awareness. So if you can help with that, huge.

4) Leave me feedback. Please comment on this post, especially if you have any ideas about what I should try to cook with these ingredients I have available. I love hearing from you! It really helps!

2 comments:

  1. I know it must be getting harder...but your passion is still very strong and you're almost there. It's wonderful what you've accomplished through this. Good night or good morning when you read this!

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    1. Thank you so much for the encouragement, Michelle! It's very appreciated!

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