High school students in San Mateo live on $2 a day
In figuring out how to subsist on $2 a day, the hardest part wasn't what food to buy. It wasn't even giving up warm beds, cellphones and showers.
For the dozen Hillsdale High students who camped out for two days to raise awareness of world poverty, the challenge was reconciling the odd feeling of being full with not feeling satisfied after meals of oatmeal, tortillas and beans. Even the chana masala, a chickpea stew served over quinoa, only sounded exotic and intriguing.
But the hardship wasn't a serious issue, they said.
"We learned the difference between needing something and wanting something," said Lisette Solis, 18, spokesman for the Hillsdale Effect group. "We're having a lot of First World problems here," she said, referring to inconveniences of sleeping on double layers of cardboard, cooking on a two-burner propane stove and doing homework by the school's emergency lights. They rejected tents. They wanted to stay true to Third World conditions.
"We thought we'd be criticized for going camping," Solis said. "Sleeping bags
