From Inside New Zealand: Inside Child Poverty. Source: tv3.co.nz |
The current government has been under pressure, for quite some time, to implement a scheme to feed children in lower socioeconomic areas. In 2011, Labour deputy leader, Annette King said "The prime minister has been in denial about this country's poverty problem for years."
So it plagues the question... How did poverty become such a big problem in this country?
Obviously not an easy question to answer. It seems to have gradually occurred, and probably wasn't helped by the global financial crisis felt around the world in recent years. But it has to make you wonder where the responsibility actually lies, when it comes to malnourished children in our schools.
Is it really something the government should be responsible for? Granted, they have a social responsibility to ensure people can get help and change their circumstances. But it's difficult to see why the ultimate responsibility should lie with them, when the parents or caregivers should be responsible for these things. Charles Dickens once wrote "Charity begins at home." An old adage that is even more relevant now, than it may have been in Dickensian times. It's also something that should be taken into account when trying to solve this prevalent poverty problem some are experiencing.
Instead charities like KidsCan have been established to supply kids with some of the bare essentials. They boast some impressive statistics; 60,000 All Blacks raincoats, 5 million food items, 25,000 pairs of shoes and 50,000 pairs of socks are just some of the things that have been distributed by the charity since 2005. They even have a World Vision style scheme, where you can sponsor a kiwi kid for only $15 a month.
Now although I think an organisation like this incredibly commendable, one problem I have is the way they approach the PR aspect of the charity. It's almost as if they exploit the whole idea, to a point where it all seems somewhat sensationalised for the sake of getting donations. To understand what I mean, take a look at this TVC that was a part of their "Support a New Zealand Child" campaign...
As you can see, even their website and print material features images of sombre and disheveled children. It's all a bit too much! Why can't they show happy children? Messages of aspiration as well as inspiration could be a much better approach, rather than trying to guilt people by using images of child models and actors with a bit of dirt rubbed in their hair and face.
But although their PR efforts may indeed be a little loaded, what I find even more troubling is that they don't find out what the root of the problem is... they seem too busy dealing with the effects, rather than finding a solution to the cause. It's almost as crazy as the Queensland government giving needles and syringes to junkies, it just enables them to continue their current behavior and never changing their ways.
If everyone else is supplying New Zealand kids with bare essentials that parents should be responsible for, like socks and shoes, then what kind of culture are we creating? I think it's fair to speculate that if we continue this trend, it could cause Kiwis to become co-dependent on government and charities. There may also come a point where people expect these things, and don't ever think of getting it themselves.
Mana party leader, Hone Harawira, has even started lobbying for a bill, due for it's first reading in July. This "Feed the Kids" bill proposes the government spend $100 million a year, to implement a program that supplies breakfast and lunch in all decile 1 and 2 schools. Hone Harawira's bill appears to be yet another way parents can relinquish certain responsibilities. What's next, free housekeeping services for families with 3 or more children? It's unlikely I will ever be convinced that this bill is not only necessary, but vital for the social welfare of the country.
John Key announces a new initiative to supply breakfast in schools. Source: Stuff.co.nz |
This week, Prime minister, John Key announced a joint venture by the government with dairy company; Fonterra and breakfast cereal company; Sanitarium. This initiative will cost the government $1.9 million a year, a sum that Fonterra and Sanitarium will match. The programme will roll out to become accessible to all decile 1 to 4 schools that want it. These are much more realistic figures, compared to Hone Harawira's nonsensical sums... which perhaps used some sort of mathematical equation written by Dr Seuss.
It's looks as though the government have found a good middle ground to help rid the country of child poverty, but it still doesn't fix what is at the root of the problem. As Dickens said "Charity begins at home," something we need to place a stronger emphasis on, in order to combat the issue head on.
We need to ask why children in today's New Zealand can't get the food and essentials at home. If parents are struggling to earn enough money for their family to survive, a system should be implemented to give them access to higher education so they can better their chances of gaining a higher paying job. If parents are struggling with addictions that are interfering with their finances, there should be some kind of support to help overcome their addiction and better their circumstances.
There's clearly no easy fix to this problem, it's obviously going to take a great deal of time to reduce the current epidemic. But one thing I know for sure, we need to start at home! We need to find out what is happening, why they are struggling... but more importantly, how to help them change their circumstances.
Taking these small steps now, could result in leaps and bounds towards the reduction of child poverty in this country. Over time it could relieve a lot of the pressure off schools and government to supply such essential items, and put the onus back on the parents of each child.
Because if our society takes on the parents responsibility for feeding children, isn't that just feeding New Zealand's child poverty problem?
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