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Iroquois Ridge student living on $1.75 a day by Abigail Cukier Special to the Beaver 9 | Wednesday, April 30, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com For five days, Oakville high school student Jocelyn Lee will spend just $1.75 a day for all of her food and drink. Sound impossible? It's how 1.2 billion people around the world live every day. Lee, 16, is taking part in Live Below the Line, an initiative of the Global Poverty Project. The challenge raises funds for anti-poverty initiatives and helps deepen the understanding of those living in extreme poverty. In the summer of 2012, Lee, a Grade 12 student at Iroquois Ridge High School, travelled with her family to her mom Joan's birthplace in Vietnam. "My mom was a refugee from Vietnam. This was my first time out of North America and seeing people, even my mom's family, living in such poverty, it was hard to believe," Lee said. "It was a completely different world. Here, there is a Starbucks a couple of streets away, where people buy $5 drinks. In many places, that is more than what people live on each day." Lee became involved with RESULTS Canada, a national grassroots organization dedicated to ending extreme poverty. Since 1986, the group's citizen advocates have helped mobilize billions of dollars in targeted foreign aid by reaching out to parliamentarians, policy makers, the media and community groups. Lee has raised funds for organizations like the Global Fund, which fights tuberculosis, AIDS and malaria. She also attends monthly meetings and was inspired by a national conference she attended in Ottawa. The student said many RESULTS Canada members will join her in the challenge, as will her dad, Sonny, and sister, Caitlin. The Global Poverty Project chose $1.75, as it is equal to what you would have if living under extreme poverty in Canada. The challenge runs from April 28-May 2 in Canada, the U.K. and U.S. Each participant has $8.75 to buy all the ingredients for every meal over five days. Even items like salt and herbs must be factored into the costs. Participants cannot accept food donations from others and if they grab a snack from the cupboard, the cost must be factored into their total. "I am a food lover so it will be a bit of a challenge. It helps that my dad and the people from RESULTS are doing it with me," Lee said. Lee participated last year. She said she got through by eating a lot of rice and vegetables. "It definitely affected my energy. I think this is a great cause because it helps people realize that people need the money we are fundraising. I am a firm believer that you cannot understand what someone is going through until you go through it yourself. It is important to connect with people by experiencing the same thing as them." Lee and her family have chosen to support the Israel Tennis Centers (ITC) Foundation, which uses tennis to improve the lives of children in one of the most conflicted regions of the world by teaching reliance, perseverance and focus. The ITC runs programs for at-risk youths, refugees and children with special needs. To contribute, visit www.livebelowtheline. com/me/swlee. For information on the challenge, visit www.livebelowtheline.com. DO YOU HEAR RINGING IN YOUR EARS? Jocelyn Lee IF YOU HAVE TINNITUS, YOU'RE NOT ALONE. IT'S ESTIMATED AROUND 250 MILLION PEOPLE SUFFER FROM IT WORLDWIDE. TAKE CONTROL OF IT WITH ZEN. My mom was a refugee from Vietnam. This was my first time out of North America and seeing people, even my mom's family, living in such poverty, it was hard to believe. It was a completely different world. Here, there is a Starbucks a couple of streets away, where people buy $5 drinks. In many places, that is more than what people live on each day. Jocelyn Lee VISIT OUR OPEN HOUSE MAY 7TH & 8TH TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR TINNITUS Iroquois Ridge High School student, Grade 12 THERE'S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO DESIGN YOUR DREAM AYA KITCHEN TIRED OF BEING TOLD THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT? SUFFERING FROM TINNITUS? Join PURE AUDIOLOGY on May 7TH & 8TH for a FREE hearing assessment and demonstration of WIDEX DREAMTM. -- DREAM offers ZEN, a tinnitus management device that plays random, soothing harmonic tones designed to help you relax and reduce stress, both of which help with tinnitus. Call 289-837-1137 Space is Limited! AYA KITCHENS OF OAKVILLE · 1195 North Service Road West AyAoakville.com · 905.847.1522