This week thousands of Australian stomachs will be rumbling as the “Live Below The Line” challenge kicks off.

Participants in the campaign have to live on less than two dollars of food a day, for five days.

But, it’s all for a good cause.

Laura Dixon reports.

TRANSCRIPT

The challenge is to walk in the shoes of those living in extreme poverty in South East Asia.

The task Live on a daily limit of two dollars only for food.

Some enthusiastic volunteers are giving up a little more.

Jamie Ellis, Oaktree State Director: “So at $600 I said that I would go barefoot, so I’ve got no shoes on for the week, and then if I raised $800 I would get rid of my car and forms of public transport and I’m riding my bike.”

I’m at one of Brisbane’s major grocery stores. I’ve got $2, and I’m about to pop in and see what I can get.

Well, my lunch has come to $1.60 and I managed to get a packet of pasta and a tin of tomatoes. It’s good enough for lunch, but I don’t know if I could do this for a week, let alone a lifetime.

Live Below the Line is just one group working to prevent poverty.

Oz Harvest takes produce that would otherwise go to waste from local businesses and delivers it to 125 charities around Brisbane.

Cameron Hickey, Oz Harvest Queensland:: “It’s estimated between eight and ten billion dollars each year of the food that we purchase ends up in the bin, or one in five shopping bags and at the same point we have two million Australians relying on food relief.”

To donate or get involved with Live Below the Line visit their website.

www.livebelowtheline.com.au

Laura Dixon, QUT News.