“What can I do?”

“If each individual can help a single other individual…we can change the world.”

Imagine living on nothing but one dollar a day. Just one dollar. The same dollar you may use for the Circulator, to tip at Uncommon Grounds, or collect in an old Tombs mug you have for spare change. The idea is pretty daunting, but for some it’s more than just a thought, it’s a lifestyle  of extreme poverty.

Poverty is a painful reality for people all over the world. There have always been organizations to help give back, but there are none I have ever come across like the one I have the privilege to introduce to you now.

Four college students spent their entire summer living in Guatemala, each on only one dollar a day. They came to better understand the constraints of this level of poverty, and with this understanding they felt a call to action. The campaign for Living On One is now spreading across America with the purpose of informing our society about the lack of opportunity and the hardships that these poverty-stricken people groups are forced to endure.  Innovative ideas like microfinance are just the beginning. There is no end to what can be achieved here, but the awareness of the masses is key.

At the heart of the Jesuit value system Georgetown subscribes to, there is the saying “Men and women for others.” There is no better way to help advocate for others than to fight against global poverty. Check out Living On One’s trailer, help if you can, but if nothing else remember those people groups around the world and hope for a better future for us all.

Interested in seeing the film? The D.C. premiere is taking place right here on campus. Next Wednesday, October 3rd, come to Gaston Hall for a screening and Q&A with the filmmakers, hosted in partnership with The Hoya.