I saw an advert on twitter the other night for Channel 4’s new dispatch episode on kids growing up in poverty. We finally caught up on it last night, and it’s stirred a lot of feelings within me.
My heart is bleeding for this children, and not just the children shown in the episode. This is happening to 1 in 3 children in the UK, which may not sound like a lot but that’s 4.1 million children. The fact that we are letting 4.1 children grow up in poverty it’s beyond imaginable, we need to do better and be better for these children and their families.
I grew up like some of these children, it wasn’t always bad but it definitely wasn’t good. My mum would go without, just so that we would have food. Money was always tight, and I was always very aware that I wasn’t the same as a lot of my friends. Seeing your parents worry, whether they try to hide it or not, means that you worry and you grow up quicker because of that worry.
I was one of the lucky ones. I now have an incredible life and apart from the money worries that I imagine the average person has, I never have to worry how we’re going to afford food and heating each month. We can afford Grayson’s food and clothing, and we can afford to look after ourselves and still enjoy life. I am thankful everyday for the life I have, and I will never take it for granted because when you grow up like these children you don’t take things for granted.
However, not all of these children are going to be as lucky as I was and this thought breaks my heart.
Now you may be sat reading this thinking “well this isn’t my problem, it’s down to their parents” you’re right in a sense. But just think of this, for whatever reason you lose your job and can’t find another one, you then lose your house because the money you’re getting from the government isn’t enough to live on. Wouldn’t you want help?
One of the young girls said towards the end of the episode “the fact we look down on people with less money is sad, because we’re all equal” and she was absolutely right. We are all equal, and we need to help each other in one way or another.
If you haven’t watched this episode/documentary I was seriously recommend that you give it a watch. It’s extremely harrowing and difficult to watch, but it’s something that needs to be talked about.