Ben Affleck has flexed his advocacy muscles by testifying before Congress and launching a nonprofit to help the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo. Now, he's planning to live below the poverty line for his latest initiative.
The Hollywood actor and director has joined The Global Poverty Project's Live Below the Line campaign, which asks people to live on $1.50 a day to raise money for various charities such as UNICEF, the World Food Programme and others. The campaign lasts from April 29 to May 5.
So far, celebrities including Ben Affleck, Sophia Bush, Nick Lachey and Josh Groban have committed to living on the small sum to support organizations that work to fight poverty, human trafficking and other critical global problems.
That meager amount is the current equivalent of the World Bank’s International Extreme Poverty Line and is the amount that sustains some of the world's poorest people in terms of food, health, transportation and general living costs.
Affleck is raising money for his charity, the Eastern Congo Initiative, which helps make strides in economic and social development in the war-torn region. The "Argo" director's nonprofit empowers local DRC organizations through public-private partnerships.
The Global Poverty Project is an education and advocacy nonprofit that, through its Live Below the Line campaign, has partnered with organizations including Opportunity International, World Food Program USA, Happy Hearts Fund, The ISIS Foundation, Eastern Congo Initiative, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, GVN Foundation, CARE, The Somaly Mam Foundation, Rainforest Foundation and Milaap.