over the last 2 and a half months I have witnessed first hand the challenges, the uncertainty, and the unfortunate reality that is faced by a large proportion of people in Central America and Mexico in everyday life. The simple things that those of us from more developed countries take for granted - food security, access to education, women's rights, and the upholding of law and order - are often still but a dream in many places in the world. Taking an active role in helping and supporting charity work is not something I have made a priority in past, however I wish to make a change to that.
The issues that plague many undeveloped countries are complex and there is no simple solution or a single area that needs to be targeted. Because of this complexity I have decided to aim my support at CARE - a charity that is involved in many projects in developing countries from food security to women's rights to disaster relief. They have a good track record and low overhead costs ensuring that most of your donation is actually going to the people and not to an unnecessary overpriced tv ad. Now I don't believe I would be doing enough by simply raising awareness of CARE and the work they are doing and asking for your money . I want to make the stakes a little higher. I have decided to fast for 5 days to represent the food insecurity faced by so many people. Having been fortunate enough to grow up in a prosperous country like New Zealand with the support of a great friends and family, I have never had a situation in my life where I could not physically afford to buy a meal if I was hungry. As this is not the case for so many people in the world I feel it is only fair to experience this first hand myself. I have started my fast after Christmas Dinner on the 25th of December and with the exception of some black coffee on the first morning I will consume nothing but water and some simple salt supplementation until the 31st of December. I have deliberately chosen this time period as it a time of year where we often have an abundance of food and eat a fair amount more than we really need. If you wish to try support me then skipping a single meal at some time over the next 5 days and donating the amount the meal would have cost could be a way you can play a part. Otherwise even just a few dollars donated can make a big difference.
