Hunger is the number one health risk in the world. One in eight people go to bed hungry each night. And lack of food leads to dehydration, malnourishment, weakened immune systems and impaired brain function, among other things. Close to 3 billion people live on less than $2 per day. And that’s $2 a day for all of life’s expenses — food, transportation, housing, emergencies, etc. Many of us spend twice that amount on our morning cup of coffee.
It’s difficult to imagine having a satisfying meal for $2, let alone only having $2 to try and meet all of the needs that come up during a day. However, our $2 Dinner Challenge will help with this a little bit. It’ll give you a small taste of what life is like for children and families living in extreme poverty.
The Challenge
Take $2 in cash from your purse or wallet, and put the rest of your money aside, including your checkbook and your credit or debit cards.
As a family, go to your local grocery store. Walk around the store and make a list of what food you can get for $2. Then use your $2 to buy food to feed everyone dinner; just one meal.
As you eat dinner together, discuss the questions below:
Before you went to the store, what was your initial impression of the challenge? Did you think it would be easy or hard to come up with a meal for $2?
What was the food shopping experience like? What did you think, or how did you feel, as you were looking for affordable items to buy?
Did you have any concerns about the meal you’d be having (e.g., nutritionally, amount, taste, etc.)?
How does the food you bought stack up nutritionally with a typical meal you share together? How do you think having this $2 meal every day would affect you physically and emotionally?
Has the $2 Dinner Challenge changed your perspective on what it might be like to live in extreme poverty?
After dinner, spend some time praying for the children families living in poverty around the world. And consider including this prayer as part of your prayer at subsequent meals.
