It's Thursday night here in Paris and I'm on Day 4 of my Live Below the Line Challenge. The hard part is now over (I hope!) and even though I've already eaten Friday's breakfast allowance, I think I'll manage to get through the last day. The hunger pains, constant staring at strangers eating their biscuits, chocolate, ice creams etc and sheer exhaustion (to a point beyond 'hangry') have all come and gone in their cycles. The challenge has been harder that I thought it would be, especially being in Paris when I am constantly running around catching buses, trains and metros all day.
This morning was particularly difficult, it started with those headaches people on the challenge had been talking about. I was doing my fair share of sooking and zombie-like impersonations around the apartment until I decided to spend the morning reading up and signing petitions to Bring Back Our Girls before heading to work.
Now, being too poor to afford education is one thing. But, being able to be in education in a place where 72% of the population has never attended primary school, then being kidnapped and sold off for "marriage" at a reported price of $12 each as a radical group in Nigeria considers Western education to be a sin is unbelievable. When should it ever be dangerous to obtain an education? Why have these 200 brightest girls in the area been denied their opportunity to study?
Needless to say, my second, third and fourth winds came rushing in. My energy levels skyrocketed to an all time high on my 1.34€ budget and I was determined more than ever to #livebelowtheline so that others could #riseabovetheline, making a small difference where I could. My headache was just going to have to take a raincheck.
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I am happy to #livebelowtheline so others can #riseabovetheline. |