YOUNG people from West Devon gave up luxuries and 'slummed' it for a few days to experience life in real poverty.
Twenty young people at St Andrew's Church, Buckland Monachorum, have been learning about poverty during this term, both locally and globally.
They also learned about how they can make a difference, not only by fundraising for charities but also by carrying out acts of kindness for someone they know or for their community.
They learned from studying poverty that it is not just about knowing the facts but also acting upon them, so the youngsters decided to hold a fundraising event, Slum Survivor.
They spent a few days limiting their diet, taking up challenges, building their own slums to sleep in, only wearing one set of clothes and only using water from an outside running cold tap to wash in and drink from.
Youth worker Trudi Massey said: 'It was pretty challenging for them. They had a meal of rice at 6pm then at 7am the following morning, then nothing again until that evening.
'By the end of it they felt privileged for how they live . It was a real experience for them, they did really well.'
The event raised around £600 but more was still to be collected. The money will go to ShelterBox to help those affected by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.