life, by me

Wednesday, January 29, 2014 | Posted by Hazel

My next adventure which has just begun involves a few months living and working in Tanzania.  I will be working as Deputy Programme Manager for the Raleigh Tanzania ICS programme from January to April, helping to run the programme and manage the teams.

So, I have arrived in Tanzania!  I’ve actually been here almost 2 weeks, but the time is flying by.

I met Catherine at the airport who was also travelling to the same project with me to work as the Medic.  We arrived in Dar Es Saalam  and then had a 5 hour drive to Morogoro where I will be based for the next 3 months.  I attempted to stay awake (unsuccessfully) to enjoy the view and soak up the scenery.

Anyway, I am now at fieldbase, with the rest of the ‘advance’ team who have come out to set stuff and all the Project Managers and Team Leaders that arrived last week.  Myself and Calum (the Core programme Deputy Programme Manager) went up to Dar to collect and welcome them.

It’s taken me a while to adjust to the sheer heat it is out here at the moment.  Although the rainy season is approaching, apparently this is actually the hottest time of the year – my thermometer tells me it’s been 34C, but it feels hotter!

Before the rest of the team arrived last week, all the advance team were given a day off, so we decided to go on Safari in Mikumi National Park which is about an hour and a half from Morogoro where we are.  It was amazing.  I saw giraffes, zebra, warthogs like pumba, vulchers and most excitingly of all…a lion and 3 lionesses (Simba is actually the Swahili word for lion, incase you were interested).  They were so close!  Loved it.

Simba

An elephant taking a pee

My giraffe selfie

Some of the advance team on safari

After busily getting everything ready for the arrival of all the Team Leaders, the training phase has begun.  With the rest of the management team I have been helping to facilitate and run the training for all the guys who will be going out on project in just a couple of weeks.  It’s been pretty busy but I am enjoying it.  I actually even enjoyed the trek and camping which I thought I would hate (I like walking and camping, but not carrying heavy bags up mountains), plus I had to be a good example to the rest of the team and exude enthusiasm…

Yesterday the groups all found out which villages they are going to be working in and tomorrow they all head off to visit them for the first time and do their PPV (Project Planning Visits) before the volunteers arrive next week.

It’s a different experience living at fieldbase compared to living in a village like I did in India, but I so far I am enjoying seeing how it all works from the other side. 

Badae!

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Friday, October 04, 2013 | Posted by Hazel

Today was my last day 'living below the line'.

My menu for today:

Breakfast - Porridge with water and a brown sugar - 7p

Snack - a Banana - 13p

Lunch - Baked beans on a toasted brown roll - 20.5p

Snack - an Apple - 5p

Dinner - Spanish Risotto - 41p

Total spend = 86.5p 

My cheapest day!  I had a friend coming round for dinner this evening and anticipated I might need more of my budget to cater for that, so I decided to find a cheaper option for my lunch than the soup.   I had half a tin of baked beans left over from Tuesday's dinner so had those for lunch instead, saving me just over 10p, winner. 

This week I've discovered it's much cheaper to cook for more than one person - it takes the same amount of time to prepare the food, uses the same amount of pots, and gas, and is somehow cheaper.  Making meals for one just seem to cost more.  You can add cheap ingredients to a meal to make it go further and serve more people.  This evening the Spanish Risotto I made would have served 4, so I have another 2 portions which I can freeze for future meals!

Living below the line has taught me that living on a tight budget is possible, but you have to be very disciplined.  I've learnt there are lots of things I take for granted, and just assume that everyone can do/afford, when really that is not the case.  Going out for coffee with my friends was a no go - my favourite coffee in Starbucks costs £2.95, that's the equivalent of 3 days worth of food.  I couldn't just eat when I felt the slightest twinge of hunger or even boredom - every snack I ate meant my meal later on in the day would have to be cheaper.  I've learnt that it's possible to live on much less than I do and to save money by cooking in bulk and planning ahead - things I will try and do in the future.

People all over the world (1.4 billion to be a little more precise) go to bed hungry every day, that is more than 20 times the UK population.  This week has really challenged me about what I take for granted in my life and how easy I actually have it. 

Thank you for supporting me in my week of 'living below the line'.

www.justgiving.com/hazel-swan4

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Thursday, October 03, 2013 | Posted by Hazel

Today, like the rest of this week, has started with porridge.  This morning I mixed in a little brown sugar, another of my more pricier toppings this week but it was worth it.

Instead of soup today, I splashed out, spending a little extra on having yesterdays dinner leftovers of the tuna kedgeree, which tasted just as good heated up this afternoon.

This evening I went out for dinner...yes I did.  I was invited round to my friends for dinner and after explaining to her that I was eating on a budget this week she challenged herself to cook on a budget for her whole family, and they did!  Joy cooked us up a treat of pasta with tinned tomatoes, red pepper, and some spices alongside some garlic bread and a smattering of grated cheese for the pricey sum of 32p each - winner!  Thank you Joy!

Today has felt pretty normal - no headaches, I didn't feel hungry too much and not really feeling tempted by food I have passed today.

Breakfast - Porridge and brown sugar = 7p
Snack - a banana = 13p
Lunch - leftover Tuna Kedgeree = 42p
Snack - an apple = 5p
Dinner - Pasta, tomato sauce, garlic bed and a sprinkle of cheese = 32p

Total spend = 99p

Before I attempted to 'live below the line' I wouldn't think twice about buying myself a chocolate bar for a snack, priced at anything between 50p and 80p, and that would just be in addition to the rest of my daily consumption.  I'm not saying that I'm not going to eat chocolate again, but this week has made me realise how I often take my wealth for granted and the things that I would have had every day feel like a luxury right now.

1 billion children all over the world live below the poverty line and it is not their choice.

Thank you for following my live below the line challenge so far, last day tomorrow...

www.justgiving.com/hazel-swan4

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Wednesday, October 02, 2013 | Posted by Hazel

Over half way in my 'live below the line' challenge now.  It's been a good day all round, not felt too hungry, although getting some peas out the freezer earlier I spied some Ben and Jerry's ice cream, and then it started waving at me.  Luckily I managed to peel myself away from the freezer pretty quickly.

Todays menu...

Breakfast - Porridge with water and a spoon of sugar - 6p

(Vast improvement on the sultanas and the sweetener)

Snack - Banana - 15p

Lunch - Spicy butternut squash soup - 31p

(Luckily I'm not bored of this yet)

Snack - an apple - 5p

Dinner - Tuna Kedgeree - 42p

This was probably my best dinner this week so far and I'm feeling full up from it too.  It made 2 portions, so I have another portion for tomorrow, although I did have to stop myself from demolishing both portions at the time.

It was really simple to make and didn't use many ingredients - this is how I made it:

Ingredients (for 2 portions)

1/2 an onion - 5p

125g rice - 5p

240ml water

Sprinkle of stock powder (optional)

1 tin of tuna - 49p

1 egg (hardboiled) - 15p

100g frozen peas - 10p

1 - Chop up the onion (I used a red onion) and fry until it goes soft.  

2 - Add the rice, stir in with the onion and then add the water.

3 - Bring to the boil and then turn the heat down, put the lid on and leave to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick.  I also added a bit more water (about another 200ml as it dried out, but it's up to you what consistency you want your rice).

4 - I added a sprinkle of stock powder just to add to the taste and some seasoning.

5 - Add the peas and cook for another couple of minutes, until the rice has soaked up all the water.

6 - Chop up the boiled egg and add this and the drained tin of tuna and mix in.

Total spend = 99p

So far, this week has shown me just how frivolous I can be with food; how I waste so much that I don't deem to be edible and throw things out that I haven't eaten before they've gone bad.  I can't believe how little I have spent this week and how I have still managed to feed myself 3 decent meals a day.  I am not normally this organised.  Living below the line you have to plan ahead what you are going to eat, and make use of every item of food you have in the cupboards and fridge.  You can't afford to waste food.

My ethics have also been highlighted this week.  Some of my purchasing choices are not based on cost - for example, I could have saved money on eggs if I'd have bought caged hen eggs, but I only wanted to buy free range, meaning I had to pay more.  In everyday life I try and buy Fairtrade products when I can, but living below the line you don't always have the luxury of choice.

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Tuesday, October 01, 2013 | Posted by Hazel

I decided pretty early on that it would be better to buy in bulk and price up a portion of food, rather than go shopping with £5 and see what I could buy.  Buying in bulk enables a more varied diet but still within a budget.  You do need to have the ability to make large purchases up front though, outlaying more than £5 initially in order to have food in the house and ingredients to use.  I am lucky that I was able to do that, and haven't actually bought anything (other than a butternut squash) from the shops so far this week.

So, menu of the day consisted of:

Breakfast - Porridge, made with water and a drizzle of sultanas - 6p

This was alright, but I think I preferred it with the sweetener, it was, er, sweeter and less gloopy.  Might revert back to that or try something else, ooh excitement, watch this space.

Snack - a nectarine - 15p

Lunch - Spicy butternut squash soup - 31p

A few people have asked me for the recipe, so here it is:

Ingredients (for 6 portions)

1 x butternut squash - 75p

a sprinkle of nutmeg

2 x potatoes - 31p

2 x carrots - 15p

1 x onion - 18p

1 x chilli - 10p

1 pint veg stock - 7p 

a handful fresh coriander - 10p

200ml milk (optional) - 20p 

1 - Peel the butternut squash and cut it in half.  Put it in a baking tray with a small amount of water in the bottom to stop it from sticking to the pan.  Sprinkle some nutmeg on it and then put it in the oven and roast until soft.

2 - Put an onion, a chilli, 2 carrots and 2 potatoes, all chopped up into a pan and fry with a small amount of butter for about 10 minutes.

3 - Add a pint of stock and cook for a further 20 minutes.

4 - Remove the squash from the oven when cooked and cut into small pieces, then add to the stock mixture and cook for a further couple of minutes.

5 - You may want to add a little more stock at this point to bulk it out a bit and make it go further.  Blend with a hand blender until smooth.

6 - Add your milk to give it a smooth texture and blend/stir again.  

7 - Serve yourself a portion and put the rest in to plastic containers suitable for the freezer and freeze for another day!

Although I had this yesterday I still enjoyed it today.  I usually have the same thing for lunch everyday anyway as it's easy to prepare and I don't have to think about it before work!  It would maybe be a nice idea to make a few different soups and freeze them in portions so you can have a variety of flavours throughout the week.

Ok, my menu continued....

Snack - an apple - 5p

Dinner - a Jacket Potato with beans and a splattering of cheese - 43p

Total spend = £1

No headaches today so my body must be getting used to the lack of sugar/caffeine!  I've managed to resist a lot of cake and biscuits again today that were in the staff room at work so my self control is also getting a testing this week.

Thanks again to everyone who has already sponsored me and donated to Raleigh International!

Day 2 = complete.

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Monday, September 30, 2013 | Posted by Hazel

Day one of 'living below the line'.  In conclusion, it hasn't been as hard as I had expected, and the main problem seems to be a sugar low headache that has been pretty persistent all evening.

Firstly, I already had food in the fridge and cupboards before I began this challenge and I didn't want to waste that food as that would kind of defeat the aim of trying to live below the poverty line, food waste is not an option to people who can't afford to put meals on the table (or floor if you live in India...).  So everything I have eaten today (except a butternut squash) has been using items I already had and what they cost me to buy.

Breakfast - Porridge made with water and a sprinkling of sweetener

Porridge oats - 3p for a 35g portion

Water - Free

Sweetner - 1p for a 'sprinkle'

Snack - a banana - 15p

Lunch - Home made spicy roasted butternut squash soup

I have made enough soup to last all week and it works out at 31p per portion.

Snack - an apple - 5p (from a friends orchard)

Dinner - Pasta and red pesto with a dash of cheddar

Pasta - 10p

Pesto - 20p

20g cheese - 15p (I had 15p left of my £1 budget so the cheese was a total luxury, I worked out what I could eat for 15p and it was 20g, it was totally worth it)

Total spend = £1

All in all, it's been a pretty good day.  I've felt hungry at points but I think that's probably more down to the fact that I have known that my food intake has been limited by cost and therefore I couldn't just eat every time I felt a little bit hungry - or not hungry at all but just bored and wanting food!  I've even tested my self control, holding back on 2 times today when I have been faced with a lot of cakes and sweet stuff offered to me.  I know I probably could accept 'freebies' but I have decided not to as if I wanted I could probably get a lot of food for free from the kindness of my friends and the people around me, but people living below the poverty can not always rely on others' kindness to put food on their table.

You definitely have to be a lot more organised and plan ahead when living on a tight budget and find creative ways to use every ingredient you have to make your food go as far as you can.

I've had a lot of food in bowls today for some reason - just noticed that.  Breakfast and lunch are going to look pretty similar for the week and I'll have to see how creative I can get with dinners.

By the way, the soup was really nice, I freestyled a bit but hopefully I can cope with having that every lunch this week.

Thanks to everyone who has already donated to Raleigh International!

www.justgiving.com/hazel-swan4

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Sunday, September 29, 2013 | Posted by Hazel

So having recently returned from India, I'm feeling passionate about some of the things I saw and experienced whilst I was out there.

One of the big things that touched me whilst I was living in Kokkal was how they survive on much little that us.  I'm not talking about the relation between the British Pound and the Indian Rupee, but about the fact that many of us live lifestyles with comfort and an abundance of food and facilities that other people could never imagine.  They are forced to live a much more basic lifestyle, living under the poverty line.

"The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a given country. In practice, like the definition of poverty, the official or common understanding of the poverty line is significantly higher in developed countries than in developing countries." [wikipedia]

This week I am challenging myself to live below the line, spending a maximum of £1 per day on all the food and drink that I consume.  I won't be accepting freebies and any food I already have in the cupboards will be costed and accounted for in my daily budget.

I'm definitely going to have less variety in my diet than I usually would and choices are going to be more limited.  I'm going to have to be a lot more organised than normal and think a lot more about what I am purchasing and spending my money on.

When I was in India we ate rice for pretty much every meal and when the supplies were low there wasn't much else to the meal.  It was very humbling when in the last week in Kokkal the locals in the village all clubbed together, donating 50 rupees each (a third of their daily wage) to buy us some chicken - which they then cooked for us.

One of the amazing meals the generous people of Kokkal cooked us

Raleigh International is working with ICS (the International Citizen Service) supporting a diverse range of UK young people and volunteers from developing countries to fight poverty, gain skills and change their own communities for the better.  I went out to India with Raleigh and would like to raise funds to help support the work that Raleigh International does to help build and develop communities all over the world.

Tomorrow it begins... www.justgiving.com/Hazel-Swan4

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