Ration Challenge 2021

Sunday 13 – Saturday 19 June 2021

The Ration Challenge is only days away.

It is not too late, you can sponsor an individual or a team. Find challengers and teams here https://actforpeace.rationchallenge.org.au/search  

 Eat rations. Raise money. Save lives.

Those taking the Ration Challenge will be eating the same rations as a Syrian refugee for one week, in order to raise money and save lives. 

They'll bring emergency food, healthcare and life-saving support to the people who need it most.  

Right now, 4,500 passionate people are gearing themselves to take on the Act for Peace Ration Challenge this weekend. They’ll put themselves in the shoes of a refugee like Lydia for one week, eating the same food rations to help raise money, awareness and compassion for families who are forced to live like this every day.

Have you ever thought about why our lives feel more meaningful when we help others?

If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere like Australia, the answer may seem obvious. By giving up something we don’t really need, we can make a positive difference to someone else's life -  to someone who really does need it.

Lydia's Story 

(Above) Lydia finds it difficult to get enough food on the table to feed her family. Arthur Tainturier / Act for Peace

Lydia doesn't have much to give.

She fled from Syria to Jordan with her family in 2013, and though they’ve made steps towards finding new friends and work, they still miss their home dearly. COVID-19 made already difficult living conditions even harder for her family. She says she she could barely afford to put food on the table to feed her children.

“I was in a psychological crisis", she says, "as my house rent accumulated on us… thankfully, the hard time passed."

Despite all this, Lydia gives her time and experience to volunteer with the Act for Peace local partner in Jordan, DSPR. She knows there are families suffering more than her, so she helps to ensure they receive food rations on the ground. 

“I was searching for those families who are in bad need of support and adding them”, she says.

With children of her own to feed, and an injured husband unable to work, you'd assume that helping others would be low on Lydia's list – but she describes it as a feeling like no other: 

“I was telling my husband that when I go to sleep, I feel consciously relieved and happy as if these parcels came to me instead. I have an indescribable feeling."

Over the last 10 years more than 6.6 million people have been forced to leave everything they’ve ever known behind in a bid to find one of life’s fundamental human rights — safety. These are mothers and fathers who want safety, dignity, and the ability to rebuild their lives and provide a bright future for their children.

Visit the Act for Peace RATION CHALLENGE 2021 website for more information on the Ration Challenge