Don’t have to live like a refugee . . . but she is

RATION CHALLENGE: Gisborne woman Abigail Salmond with the refugee food ration box she had to make last a week. She is raising money for a charity called Act for Peace, which helps refugee communities throughout the world. Picture by Rebecca Grunwell

Gisborne woman Abigail Salmond has gone hungry this week to show her support for refugees around the world.

Abigail has been doing the the Refugee Ration Challenge and as of yesterday had raised nearly $1700 for the Australian NGO Act for Peace.

Since last Sunday Abigail stuck to a restricted diet of rice, lentils, dried chickpeas, sardines, kidney beans, vegetable oil and plain flour.

By day five she said she was starting to feel tired and low in energy.

“The food doesn’t fill you up for long and the lack of complex carbohydrates and protein took its toll. I am craving fresh fruit!”

Act for Peace founded the Ration Challenge in Australia in 2014.

Since then the challenge has been launched in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the USA.

“I always hear about the plight of refugees and I feel so helpless,” she said.

“These are children, families just like us. They are people who have lost their homes, lives, sometimes family members.

“They just want to be safe, send their children to school and live a dignified life like we all do.

“This was one small thing I could do to support them and raise awareness of what they go through day after day.

“It’s also a good reminder of how incredibly lucky I am to essentially be able to eat what I want, when I want.”

Act for Peace empowers passionate people to work together to achieve safety, justice and dignity in communities threatened by conflict and disaster.

It works with local organisations in 14 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific to provide food, shelter, education, healthcare and training for some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Abigail is trying to reach a target of $2000 and online donations can be made up to June 30.

Go to my.rationchallenge.org.nz/abigailsalmond