Surviving on a budget of $2 a day helped my family appreciate the challenges of those in the developing world.
As the child of reinforcement officers, some of my earliest memories were of mealtime conversations about global concerns. I still remember cringing as a teenager when my mother announced to the congregation during the Self Denial Appeal that she was giving up baths! She understood just how precious water is in many parts of the world, resonating with the words of St. Francis of Assisi: “Thou flowing water, pure and clear, make music for thy Lord to hear, O praise him!”

The media bombards us with astonishing statistics. More than half the world’s population live on less than $2 a day, and of this almost half on less than $1 a day. If you have just a few of the “basics” of life-a meal in the refrigerator, clothing and a pair of shoes, a bed and a roof over your head-you are better off than 75 percent of the world.
With this in mind, I sent out a challenge to family and friends: Could you live on $2 a day for food for one week? It was somewhat contrived I admit, because for those truly living on that amount or less in the developing world the $2 has to cover not only food but every other necessity of life. Nevertheless, I hoped that the challenge would help people reflect on the concerns facing our brothers and sisters in the developing world.

First to sign up was my mother. She took an imaginative approach, coming up with creative menus and working hard to include vegetables and fruit. To keep within the $2 a day limit she looked for bargains at dollar stores and in the day-old and dinted can sections of the supermarket to make things stretch.

My in-laws also took up the challenge with gusto. Fruit was cut in half, vegetables were reduced, milk was limited and water became the primary beverage. It made them thankful that they had access to potable water.

My older sons like to use the phrase “remember when” in reference to my cooking. Remember when mom used to “really cook?”-adding phrases like “from scratch” and sometimes asking, “Did you really cook this or just put it in the oven?” I suspect this is the reality for other working mothers. The handiness of ready-made meals is tempting when you have a busy schedule. A budget of $2 a day per person meant that we had to choose: Do we blow the whole amount on one meal, or become better organized in meal planning? Even then, $2 hardly stretched far enough!

I hesitate to suggest that the week was transformational; however, it was an important reminder of the basics I take for granted.

Basics like choice. The ability to choose the foods I will eat-better cuts of meat, particular brands of foods, specialty items that add something unique to recipes-rather than having to eat whatever I can buy. Choice allows us the freedom to experiment with new products and try new foods just because we can.

Basics like variety. During the week we ate a lot of rice and lentils. Much of the world does not use phrases such as, “Not this again!” Instead, they are just grateful that they have something to eat. A reduction in funds not only cuts out variety in our diet, it also cuts out food groups that are necessary for good health such as dairy, fruits and vegetables.

Basics like time. We rely on so many conveniences, from microwave ovens and dishwashers to ready-made meals-conveniences that allow us free time to spend on pleasures rather than the essentials of life. Even with all our modern amenities, we still often complain of not enough time.

Basics like a full stomach. I’ll admit I was hungry on my $2-a-day limit. Extras like coffee breaks and afternoon teas, or sauces and relishes that make a plain meal special, were not permitted in the budget. My in-laws each lost weight, and reflected on the impact that the reduction of calories in such a diet would have on anyone striving to earn a living.

At the end of the week, those of us who took up the challenge were able to get back to normal. But for much of the world, “normal” is surviving on less than $2 a day. Normal for you and me may be that regular coffee picked up at a local coffee shop or a meal bought from a medium-priced restaurant. It doesn’t take much to spend more than a toonie.

Through the Partners in Mission Appeal we have an opportunity to support the ministry of The Salvation Army worldwide, enabling others to effectively minister in the name of Jesus.

Reflecting on the week, my mother returned to the basics found in the familiar grace: “We thank thee, Lord, for this our food, much more because of Jesus’ blood. Let manna to our souls be given, the Bread of Life sent down from Heaven.”

by Major Gillian Brown
Associate Director of World Missions, THQ Business Administration Services