Hey!

I’m doing the "Live Below the Line" challenge (more info available here: http://livebelowtheline.com/about/ ) from August 2nd to 6th.
Basically, 1.4 billion people live below the international poverty line of $2 AUD a day.
Myself (along with others that have signed up), are going for 5 days, living on less than $2 (AUD) a day for food.

By sponsoring me for this challenge, you’ll help support education in remote areas of Papua New Guinea, South Africa & East Timor. (More details below)

Anyway, I’m thinking if people donate what they spent on one meal today, to this cause, (or any amount – no matter how small) it would be greatly appreciated.

You can sponsor me here: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/fiona_newman

More detail on how the money will help others:

Support life changing educational opportunities in Papua New Guinea, South Africa and East Timor

Opening a School in Remote Papua New Guinea.
Yangis is a community in the mountains of Papua New Guinea that is so isolated that it’s a 3 day walk to the nearest road. There is sometimes tribal violence nearby, and there are no government trained teachers able to speak the local dialect.
Together, these challenges have meant that kids from Yangis haven’t had access to a school or education in over 15 years.
Over the last three years The Oaktree Foundation, along with the Baptist Union of PNG, has provided teacher training scholarships to Yangis locals, so that they can reopen the school. 2 have now become teachers and the 6 others are completing their training this year. We reopened the school for the first time in 15 years in January! Enrolments have exceeded expectations – 300 kids were predicted to start school, but over 500 kids are now attending class regularly.
We need to make sure that Yangis School has all the resources it needs to keep giving their students everything they need. Donate to help finish training the other teachers, refurbish the school building, get great teaching resources and provide everything necessary to give the kids of Yangis an incredible education.

Vocational Education in Timor-Leste
The small island nation of Timor-Leste is the world’s newest and youngest nation. Of its population of 1 million, 43% are under 15 years of age. As if Timor’s tumultuous history wasn’t enough, the biggest challenge facing young people currently is unemployment.
Since 2009 we have been working with local partner, Plan Timor-Leste, in the district of Aileu, to increase young people’s opportunity to earn an adequate income through vocational training, life skills training and education on how to establish small businesses. Venansio is one of the people we have been working with, and where once he felt like he had little to say in his own future, he now runs a small chilli farm with a group of friends, and their first chilli plants will soon be ready for harvest!
In the second year of the project, like Venansio, we have 15 businesses up and running, some doing chicken farming, horticulture, fish farming and baking!! Donate now to help us continue to provide the right support and training to our 200 young people in Aileu, so that by mid 2011 all our small business groups are self-reliant and generating their own income!!!

Peer Education in South Africa
The impact of HIV on young people in South Africa has been both significant and wide-reaching. KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), is one of the poorest provinces of South Africa, with 3.2% of young people under the age of 17 being HIV positive, a rate higher than any other region in South Africa. Not only are young people directly affected by the virus, but many have been left to care for their siblings, and HIV-positive parents.
Oaktree has been working with local partner, Generation of Leaders Discovered, since 2007, to tackle the root causes that contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS. We currently work in 19 high schools in KZN and Mpumulunga, training and educating 30 students in each school to become Peer Educators. Our Peer Educators are educated on the facts of HIV/AIDS as well as assisted to develop a positive vision for their life, all of which they share with peers in their school and community.