Tonight was different though, I went to a Hunger Banquet. As I walked in, I was greeted and asked to pull a card out of a box. Mine was blue... for low income.
I was Deng from Vietnam. I lived on less than 2 dollars a day, like 50% of the world does.
As I sat on the ground of the cafe, I looked around at everyone else. There were people in chairs, and just a few people sitting at a nice table with a tablecloth and centerpieces, water already on the table. The people in the chairs represented the 35% of the world who lives on $2 - $33 a day and are on the verge of poverty. The lucky people that were sitting at their nice table represented the 15% of the world that lives on $12,000 or more a year.
If you look at the math, 85% of people live in poverty or are on the verge of poverty.
For dinner, I ate a tortilla and beans. The middle income group, they got rice with their tortilla and beans. As we ate our food, we all got to watch that lucky 15% get served. Steak, salad, baked potato, bread, butter, and cheesecake for dessert. Wow.
Now, keep in mind that these groups represent the entire world. That 15%, you are part of it and I am too.
This was possibly one of my most uncomfortable moments, knowing that I was one of the very few people who had all the resources they could ever want or need while 85% of the world just hoped for a few meals a week, maybe even less. While I'm here writing this, people are dying. Every 3.5 seconds someone dies of hunger or hunger related causes.
For 52 hours, next week, I get to fast and promote awareness for the amount of poverty there is in the world. The money that I would have been spending to eat in our Cafeteria will now be going to raising money to provide 50 women in Uganda with chickens so that they can feed their families and have a source of income.
I'm excited. Now, more than ever, I can't wait to go to Tanzania (and I didn't think I could get any more excited). This is going to be the most life changing thing I could ever imagine.
Just a little more perspective for. I found this while I was stumbling one day.
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