Jesse Mulligan Lives Below Poverty Line

TV personality Jesse Mulligan will live on the equivalent of the extreme poverty line this October in order to raise awareness of sex trafficking.

Mulligan will survive on $2.25 for his food from October 6 to 10 to raise funds for TEAR Fund’s anti-human trafficking work. Live Below the Line is a multi-agency challenge which encourages Kiwis to live on $2.25 in order to give them a glimpse into the lives of those living in poverty and also to raise money for a cause.

When Mulligan discovered sex trafficking is an estimated US$ 99 billion dollar industry that preys on girls as young as 12, he decided to support TEAR Fund’s Live Below the Line fundraiser.

"Fifty one weeks of the year, I'm a greedy pig. I eat three large, sprawling meals a day and when I'm on holiday, at least five or six. Showing a little self restraint for five days to support Live Below The Line seemed like the least I could do, and when I found out about the incredible work TEAR Fund does around the world to help women and children caught in horrific and seemingly hopeless situations, it was easy to choose them as my charity,” says Mulligan.

As well as getting involved in the challenge, Mulligan joined the ranks of well-known Kiwi foodies, including Ray McVinnie, Annabel Langbein and Nadia Lim in contributing a recipe to the TEAR Fund One Helping cookbook. The cookbook features recipes for only 75c a serving, designed to help participants in the Live Below the Line challenge.

The cookbook can be purchased from Countdown or from TEAR Fund’s website¬¬ tearfund.org.nz. All proceeds from the sale of the cookbooks support TEAR Fund’s work in rehabilitating and rescuing victims of human trafficking.

Together with its partners, TEAR Fund works in Southeast Asia, helping to prevent trafficking within poor communities, rescuing and rehabilitating victims, and empowering local authorities to prosecute the perpetrators.

ENDS

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