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Team raises over £1,700 in ration challenge
21/06/2021
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Inspired by the theme of 'challenges' for April's Global Lounge discussion, two Academic Coaches and one student have completed the Concern Worldwide Ration Challenge in support of refugee communities and internally displaced people in countries like Syria, Lebanon, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bangladesh.
From Saturday, 13 to Sunday, 19 June, Sarah Byrne, Sarah Zacharek and a level 4 Fine Art student (so modest that she doesn't want to be named!) limited their diets to match the same rations given to Syrian refugees living in camps in Jordan; rice and a small amount of flour, lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, tofu and oil. That's it! No coffee, no sugar, no snacks. In doing so, they hoped to raise money and awareness of the situation faced every day by millions of refugees and internally displaced people around the world and send the message that we are in this together.
The money raised will provide emergency food, healthcare, and life-saving support to refugees, including those hit hardest by the coronavirus.
The team initially aimed to raise £992 - the equivalent of food for 6 refugees for 1 year. Together they have raised £1,743.04 to help bring emergency food, healthcare and life-saving support to the people who need it most. This money is enough to provide food for 10 refugees for 1 year, and the team are delighted with this result.
During the week, they hosted a Ration Challenge Coaches' Kitchen on MS Teams, where they prepared their lunches using their limited ration ingredients. Staff and students joined the cook-along, and conversations were grounded in discussions about refugees, their meals, and how repetitive and difficult it is to cook with these limited ingredients.
Sarah Byrne said "I have rationed for 7 days. There are refugees who have rationed for hundreds, thousands, or their entire lifetimes... With no end in sight - no 'finish line'. That's the bit that hurts the most. I am so, so proud of our little team. You, our sponsors, have created the funds to feed and provide healthcare for 10 refugees for an entire year. That's life changing - not just for those 10, but for their children, their families, and the people they will impact during and beyond their refugee journey."
Sarah Zacharek said "I was prepared for hanger (hungry anger) but not for RAGE. I expected belly hunger but had no idea what brain hunger would feel like. Towards the end of the week I became ill and it was tough not being able to fix myself with healthy food, or comfort myself with unhealthy food. I felt guilty for finding it hard when I still had the comfort of my home, my job and the safety of the people that I care about. I'm generally very thankful for the life I have, but this week even more so. We won't forget this experience."
The Fine Art student said, "It was as little and as much as 7 days... long enough to show me that the challenge was far more demanding than I ever anticipated, mentally and physically... but I hope it was worth it, and with the super support of my team and kind people’s donations, we managed to put a few smiles on the faces of those in the refugee communities."
The team are incredibly grateful for all of the support they have received from colleagues across the University, not just in terms of donations but for the words of encouragement throughout the week.
The two Sarahs are particularly proud of the student who joined them in this challenge. It took a lot of dedication and commitment to complete the week, but in doing so, she has helped to raise money and awareness. No doubt, she is an inspiration to her peers, friends and family.
The donation link will stay open for a while, so there is still time to donate.
You can find out more about Global Lounge and the other Coaches' Community events on their social media pages: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
For more information please contact the Corporate Communications Team.
