There was a time when I used to track every single one of my expenses—down to the penny. I was a little crazy. And I’d make a game of seeing how many days I could go without spending money. I patted myself on the back if cash stayed in my wallet. But, still, even if I loaded up on groceries and filled the car with gas on the weekend, I was spending money throughout the week—in the form of electricity for the lights in my house and other basic essentials. If I factored in those per diem amounts, it would be virtually impossible to spend zero in the society we live in—the society we are privileged to live in.

Not everybody lives like we do. Duh. We all know this. But I don’t think we really understand what it’s like (or what it could be like if we were born in different circumstances). That’s what inspired Chris and Zach, two kids (I’m in my mid-thirties so I consider people in their early twenties “kids”) studying environmental development to travel to a remote village in Guatemala and live like 7 out of 10 people there—below the poverty line. What does that “poverty line” equate to? A buck a day. Yep. That’s it. And, sadly, 1.1 billion people live on that amount. That’s so many people living on so very little.

That’s Chris (and Zach in the background).

The guys take 2 filmmakers (Ryan and Sean) with them on the journey. The 4 of them stay for 8 weeks and have $56 each to live on. To simulate the unpredictability of income for the people in Guatemala, they put dollar amounts on little pieces of paper and draw out one per day. Some days they draw a $9; some days a $0. That’s how people live there—they never really know when they will have money coming.

Most people rely on a service for the poor called Microfinance, which gives loans to impoverished people trying to get their lives on the right track. The guys doing the documentary use their $125 loan to pay for housing and a plot of land to grow radishes (their chosen business venture). Every 15 days, they have to pay back $6.25 on their loan or they default. That’s the reality of life.

In the beginning of their stay, the guys estimate that they’re getting less than 1000 calories per day each, in the form of black beans, rice, and bananas. Thankfully, they meet Anthony and Rosa, a couple in their early twenties who are already managing a household of 8 (including a newborn). Anthony and Rosa teach them how to make fires more efficiently, eat more substantially (lard is the key), and bargain better in town. Despite the daily juggling act of budgeting, compromising, and sacrificing, Anthony and Rosa (like many Guatemalans) are happy. As Chris says, “they have so little and they’re willing to give so much.” Their smiles are magical really.

That’s Rosa. See what I mean about the magical smiles?

What this documentary showed me was how simultaneously simple and complicated life is when you’re living on $1 per day. It’s simple in that focus narrows and life becomes about bare essentials. It’s complicated in that every small choice can have a big impact. Every penny counts, and must be pondered seriously. I’ll tell you what though—such tight constraints breed great creativity. For example, Anthony is part of savings club in which 12 members each save $12 and one person gets a $144 payout for something big, like a wedding or house repair. The club continues until everyone gets a payout. Pretty cool, huh?

That’s Chino, a young boy who has already accepted a future as a farmer because his family can’t afford education.

At one point during their stay, Chris gets both giardia and E.coli. He can’t afford medicine on his Guatemalan budget, so he uses antibiotics they brought in case of emergency. It begs the question: What do people living at this poverty level do when something unexpected happens? It can be impossible to come back from setbacks that many of us would consider mere “bummers.” In the end, Chris says he’s lost 20 pounds and he gets to go home and rehabilitate. What if the Guatemalan village life wasn’t something to rehabilitate from? What if it was your life? Feeling grateful much? I am.

Because $1 is such a big deal to most people in villages like the one Chris, Zach, Ryan, and Sean visited, it doesn’t take much for you to make a difference. With just a $200 loan, Rosa was able to start a weaving business. Many other women like her have used modest-to-us loans to change their entire lives. So here’s my pitch to you: Make a donation. Visit livingononedollar.org to learn more.

Thoughts?

This post is written by: Kim Hooper | Writer