South Africa poverty, how can we help?
85Poverty in South Africa is huge. Coming from South Africa there are a huge amount of slums, shacks as we call them. People in the more affluent areas think of these people quite often as a nuisance. Cape Town is a beautiful place they would say, but why is it that we have to pass the shacks on the way from the airport. Street Children are constantly begging at traffic lights, which annoys people even more.
It is easy for people to put a vision of a homeless child sleeping in the rain out of their minds and when they get home in their BMW they will whip out the latest toy for their child. I think people are under the mentality that giving something of value like money or a toy is the only way to happiness. Sure, this is a quick fix, but there is no way it will last.
There
are too many homeless children for us to change the world by giving. Even
millionaires have come to help, but that is not going to change either. Rodger
Federer and Oprah Winfrey have done amazing things in South Africa, but what
about the rest of the children. What they have done is definitely a start and
if we have the thinking that I don’t have any money so I can’t help. Ask
yourself again what else can I do? This is the situation with South Africa poverty
Plenty of missionaries don’t have a cent to their name, yet
every time they go into the township and come into contact with youngsters,
especially from a rural area it brings a smile to their face. Sometimes giving
up a little of your time is more valuable than any amount of money. Anyone will tell you the poverty statistics in South Africa have a story to tell.
One time when I was volunteering in a township out of Cape
Town the kids there really had nothing. I had my camera with me. “Take me, Take
me!”, they shouted. When we left after spending time teaching them to dance we
dished out lollipops and eyes lit up. I’m wondering how many kids would be so
grateful if you gave them a lollipop. The kids would run after the van to say
goodbye. Child poverty in South Africa is great and seems to be increasing.
Some of the pictures above were taken at a school in Brazil on a mission trip. This is not a wealthy school by any means. A month before we visited this school four armed men climbed over the wall and started to shoot. Nobody was injured, but it left the children shell-shocked. By coming to schools like this every week it definitely lifts the spirits of the children, displaying crazy dances and thai fighting skills (not to be used at home)as well as tricks with bikes, skateboards and breaking-skills which leaves you amazed.
So next time you are thinking of buying your grandchildren or nieces and nephews or maybe even your own kids that new remote control truck or doll then think again. When they are a lot older they won’t remember the trucks and the dolls, but they will remember the times you spent with them, going to the beach, a movie you took them to, listening to their music together and having fun because a lot of kids don’t get to have fun at all.
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Thank you for writing this and for the pictures. The children are so innocent and deserve better. How anyone can be annoyed by their existance is a mystery to me.
Wonderful hub. Very moving.
Spending time with my children is such an enjoyment and honor I can't imagine all parents thinking the same.
too full of compliments , micky
These kids definitely deserve better, Sheila. I think if everyone in my country gave a little something it would definitely start to change things.
Thanks for stopping by, Kay :)
I would think so too, billy, but you would be surprised!:(
I love your compassion and energy as well as your good ideas. Helping is such a relative term. In the case of the children you discuss, just giving them time and a few laughs to break up their difficult lives is like Christmas and birthdays combined. It sometimes takes very little on our part to make a big difference in another's life. Thank you so much.
what a wonderful hob, we can see your heart is in the right place thats for sure. And yes thats how the rich often think. There was a show on tv where the teenagers had to live with less wealthy people for a few days and that changed there attitudes to life. Maybe we all need an eye opener like that. thanks for a great hub and for sharing the pictures too.
Nice work, liswilliams. Underprivileged children are largely forgotten everywhere around the world. Their plight will only be alleviated when good people and government make them the high priority they should be. In the meantime, I hope all of us will "dish out lollipops" whenever we can.
liswilliams-this world is full of them,and the sooner we look in to the matter rather than going to Moon and Mars the better,I read some where if we cut on just one day' expenses on defense(?) we can make 4000 new schools,electify 15000 villages and many more the list was so long i don't even recall it right now.
Hi embee, thanks for your comments, it's great seeing the kids have a great time, even if it is just for a while
Thanks Eileen. Thanks for all the kind words. Yeah I think we need to appreciate the finer things in life.
Thanks for reading, William. Yeah praying government will come to their senses.
This is a really wonderful Hub with some excellent points. The issues of street children and hunger are so pervasive and complex and yet ifwe let the complexity stop us from dealing with them we are conniving at the evil.
The big issue is that the system is all screwed up - the rich are getting richer and are exploiting the not so rich to do so. And this is all over the world.
Somehow we have to take back our independence and help others do so also.
I know that here in good old SA we have an uphill struggle with the gap between rich and poor widening daily and government in the main just intent on maintaining their privileged positions. We've gotten rid of political apartheid (and thanks to all those who worked and died to make that happen) but we still have the economic apartheid which is actually a much larger issue to deal with.
We can each do our little bit to help on an individual level but as you point out these are like small drops in an immense ocean of poverty. The impact is relatively small.
At the same time we have to keep doing it and hope that the cumulative effect will start to have real impact. At the same time we have to look at how to change the system to make it more just. I don't know if you have read feloow-Hubber Paraglider's Hub on what he calls the "bloodless revolution" - it's really good on just this issue.
Thanks for raising these important thoughts.
Love and peace
Tony
Thanks for all your thoughts, Tony. Yeah, they are small, but all add up. Have to stay positive, there is always a way forward, God Bless
One of the ways to help in the U.S. is become a foster parent. However, it's also extremely demanding. My wife and I have adopted our four out of foster care and while people like to say how nice it is for us to have done that -- it's also been a wonderful challenge!
that's awesome, Don. I hope more people would follow your example!
Nice and useful article. Voluntary organizations seem to do part of the job, but it is not very proactive. There needs to be more social awareness. Thanks for the hub
Ramkkasturi
Hi - this is very moving indeed. My heart goes out to those poor kids.
Always good to have a comment from a fellow South African
Reading about poverty in South Africa is sad, especially as it's once of Africa's richer countries...
S.A is rich and has come a long way, but still got a long way to go, thanks for the comment.
Very inspirational hub - I need reminders like this that there are people less fortunate then me more often. Thanks.
The first way is for countries to stop giving money to their corrupt government!
Nice hub. Vote up + Useful
liswilliams, I love your compassion and energy as well as your good ideas. The big issue is that the system is all screwed up - the rich are getting richer and are exploiting. And this is all over the world.
Thanks for thinking about the weak.
Always want to be live a life like yours..,great hub nd gr8 work...
Going to follow you..
very intresting
Thank You.
Interesting hub. Bless:)
thanx i also like that u understand.i'm not living in a shack,but in a 1room house with my husband and 3kidz.with rent of 1,500pm.sometimes theres nothing to eat.but we are healthy.financialy we cant cope.is there help and where?
@ Monique: Are you in South Africa? If you are then you need to go to Social Services to apply for the child support grant. Depending on your income and the ages of your children- birth to 18 yrs, they will each get a grant that will assist with basic food. Also look out for community organizations in your area and those community volunteer aunties love to assist and to give guidance and advice pertaining to the systems and how these work. You can leave me a message and a contact email to discuss this further:)
great advice, thanks jeanihess
@Monique, pleez come back, let us know there is always someone here willing to point you in the right direction
It's a pleasure. I hope that she will contact us:)
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@ Kevin: Every year thousands of shack dwellers are left homeless because of fires due to lamps, stoves and candles tipping over. Lives are sometimes lost and /or burn injuries sustained. I suggest that you get in contact with the local SA Social Development Services, DTI, and local municipalities to establish discussions and negotiations. Good luck:
Micky Dee Level 4 Commenter 24 months ago
Lis you are so beautiful!