‘Live below the line’ in London
Thousands of people in the UK will spend no more than a pound a day on food and drink between 7 and 11 May
A Quaker has brought together seven faith leaders to share a simple meal in solidarity with the world’s poorest people.
Charlotte Dando, of Wandsworth Meeting in London, spent only seventy pence per person on ingredients but was able to provide guests with cous cous, spinach and spicy mixed beans. Local Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh leaders were present.
Charlotte told the Friend that many faith groups are tackling poverty but that ‘if we actually work together, we’ll be so much stronger’.
Her employer, Malaria No More, is one of the charities backing the ‘Live Below the Line’ initiative. It will see thousands of people in the UK attempt to spend no more than a pound a day on food and drink between 7 and 11 May.
Charlotte described malaria as ‘a big contributory factor in keeping people in extreme poverty’. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa, it is not uncommon for a family to spend a quarter of their income on treatment for malaria.
