April 07, 2014 09:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The second Canadian Live Below the Line campaign, presented by
the Micronutrient Initiative, kicks off in three weeks. From April 28 to May 2, 2014, participants will
spend only $1.75 per day on all food and drink, the Canadian equivalent of the extreme poverty line.
In addition to raising awareness and sparking a national dialogue to change the way Canadians think
about extreme poverty, the challenge will raise funds for eight Canadian partner organizations that
work to end extreme poverty including Opportunity International, Raising the Village and Ve’ahavta.
“Spending only $1.75 per day on food and drink is a difficult challenge but one
that has a huge impact”
From coast to coast, hundreds of Canadians have already joined the challenge with their
classmates, colleagues and families. Participants are encouraged to sign up in groups to support
one another, pool resources and conduct group grocery shopping trips.
“Spending only $1.75 per day on food and drink is a difficult challenge but one that has a huge
impact,” says Odette Hutchings, Canadian Campaign Manager, Live Below the Line. “It’s about
providing a glimpse into the difficult choices approximately 1.2 billion people must make on a daily
basis just to survive, and supporting Canadian organizations directly combating extreme poverty.
We’re calling all Canadians to join us in the challenge, sign up, donate and support - together we can
make a huge difference!”
Several celebrities have stepped up to support the Live Below the Line initiative – actress Bridget
Moynahan, actor Ennis Esmer, and actress Naomi Snieckus, have all signed on to take the five-day
challenge.
“My family is taking the Live Below Line challenge again so we can raise more funds to help end
extreme poverty and remind ourselves how incredibly fortunate we are,” says past Live Below the
Line participant Lee Hayes. “Pooling our money and feeding a family of five on just under $45 was
extremely difficult but also illuminating – it sparked a lot of conversation around the dinner table that I
know spilled into our kids’ school and our workplaces. It was an experience none of us will ever
forget.”
Global Poverty – The Facts
•
It is estimated that 1.2 billion people worldwide currently live in extreme poverty, which in Canada
would equate to living on $1.75 per day for all needs.
•
923 million people worldwide are undernourished, and there are more than 9 million deaths related
to hunger each year.
•
Malnutrition reduces a nation’s economic advancement by at least 8% because of direct productivity
losses, losses via poorer cognition, and losses via reduced schooling
•
Poor nutrition is an underlying cause of nearly half (45%) of deaths in children under five - 3.1 million
children each year.
•
The good news: the incidence of extreme poverty has decreased by more than 50 per cent over the
past 30 years – from 52 per cent of the world's population in 1981, to 22 per cent in 2008.
To register and for more information about Live Below the Line, visit www.livebelowtheline.ca. Join
the Live Below the Line community on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/lblca), Twitter
(http://www.twitter.com/lblca, #belowtheline), and Instagram (http://instagram.com/lblca).
About Live Below the Line
Live Below the Line is a campaign created by the Global Poverty Project which challenges people to
Live Below the Line for five days, raising funds for and awareness of the 1.2 billion people who live
below the line every day. Live Below the Line believes that to tackle extreme poverty, we must first
understand it. Live Below the Line gives participants a unique glimpse into the lives of those living in
extreme poverty. www.livebelowtheline.ca
The Global Poverty Project
The Global Poverty Project is an international education and campaigning organization with the
vision of a world without extreme poverty by 2030. The Global Poverty Project works to increase the
number and effectiveness of people taking action to end extreme poverty. Most recently, the Global
Poverty Project ran the second Global Citizen Festival in Central Park in New York City, headlined
by Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys. This festival was attended by 60,000 people, and resulted in 25
policy and financial commitments being made towards ending extreme poverty by
2030.www.globalpovertyproject.com
The Micronutrient Initiative
The Micronutrient Initiative (MI) is the leading organization working to eliminate vitamin and mineral
or micronutrient deficiencies in the world’s most vulnerable populations. MI is internationally
acclaimed for its ability to deliver innovative, low-cost, community-based solutions to nutrition-based
problems in the developing world. http://www.micronutrientinitiative.org