As you sit down to dinner tonight, spare a thought for some hungry students.

Thirty students, parents and teachers are taking part in the Ration Challenge this week. Participants eat the same rations as a Syrian person in a UN refugee camp for one week and raise money to help displaced people around the world. The event is run by Act for Peace, a registered Christian charity.

At any given lunch-time, students can be found protecting their small portions of beans and rice and swapping ration recipes. The meals are just enough to feed one person for a week, but do not meet the energy or nutrient recommendations of Nutrition Australia.

Year 12 student Shayleigh Melville has taken her challenge to the next level. Not content with eating rations, she is sleeping outside in the cold winter winds for the week. When asked why she decided to sleep rough, Shayleigh said: “I thought, my life is so privileged, I want to experience more of what it’s really like for the people we’re fundraising for, and appreciate our lives a little bit more.”

So far, Northpine students have raised over $2700, far above the original $1000 target. All the money raised goes to help displaced people with food, shelter, medical care and other essential services. Just $32 feeds a family in a refugee camp for one week, while $64 feeds one person in a camp for three months!

If you would like to donate to the Ration Challenge, it is suggested that you donate to a specific student’s page so that they can earn extra food for the week. Check out Northpine’s fundraising hub here: https://school.rationchallenge.org.au/northpine