Take care of our children
Take care of what they hear
Take care of what they see
Take care of what they feel
For how the children grow
So will be the shape of
Aotearoa
-
Dame Whina Cooper –
What
initiatives do our communities have to ensure the well-being and care of our
children of Aotearoa?
My
investigations have uncovered different levels of community involvement in fighting
child poverty. New Zealand ’s
community involvement ranges from individuals doing their part within their own
communities, to national efforts when the communities of Aotearoa/ New Zealand Upper Hutt women warming up Kiwi kids.
TV3’s
Campbell Live programme which aired on 24th September 2012, appealed to schools,
businesses and the New Zealand public to participate in a national ‘Lunch box
day’. The Lunch box day which was held on Friday 28th of September 2012, was in
support of KidsCan. KidsCan aimed to raise the funds required to provide school
lunches for our tamariki in low decile schools (3 News, 2012). According to the NZ Herald, the chief
executive of KidsCan stated that “Lunch box day’ on TV3’s Campbell Live show
raised $319,000” (Simon, 2013). I see this
media support as a positive move in bringing child poverty to the forefront of
our minds when the issue is so easily forgotten for the fortunate amongst us,
as this Youtube clip by KidsCanNZ illustrates http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsSK59THwCc.
KidsCan
is a charity which has partnered with a number of businesses, community groups, the government and local
schools to provide resources such as raincoats, shoes, healthcare, and food to
children in need (KidsCan, n.d.). The KidsCan web site www.kidscan.org.nz/our-work/programmes quotes research completed by Massey University
Another
initiative established by Dr Lance O’Sullivan of Kaitaia, contributes to the
well being of disadvantaged children by providing free healthcare in schools.
Dr O’Sullivan partnered with KidsCan to create a “programme
named MOKO (Manawa Ora, Korokoro Ora or “Healthy Heart, Health Throat”)” (KidsCan,
n.d.).
Initiatives
like MOKO which started with Dr O’Sullivan being concerned about the health of
the disadvantaged children, shows that individuals in our community can make a
difference.
An
example can be found in a news article http://www.newswire.co.nz/2012/08/hutt-locals-knit-work-to-warm-up-kiwi-kids/
where two ladies are fighting poverty by knitting warm clothing for children. Freda Lobb and Sharlene Whitaker started a
Facebook page to gather support for knitting garments for underprivileged
children. It was great to read that the
women received international support from Facebook users and were in turn able
to support 60 children at a school in their local community.
Apart
from the unsettling statistics of my previous blog, it is truly heartening to
see that whether it is on a national, community or individual level, there are
small differences being achieved throughout New Zealand
With
Dame Whina Cooper’s quote in mind… I would like next to look at the differences
early childhood teachers can make to the lives of children living in poverty.
Reference
List:
3 News, (2012). Experts
lament state of NZ child poverty. Retrieved from www.3news.co.nz/defaultStrip.aspx?tabid=213&articleID=270416
Kavanagh-Hall, E. (2012). Hutt
locals knit-work to warm up Kiwi kids and fight poverty. Retrieved from http://www.newswire.co.nz/2012/08/hutt-locals-knit-work-to-warm-up-kiwi-kids/
KidsCan, (n.d.). Food for
kids. Retrieved from www.kidscan.org.nz/our-work/programmes
KidsCan, (n.d.). Health
for kids. Retrieved from www.kidscan.org.nz/our-work/programmes
KidsCan, (n.d.). Raincoats
for kids. Retrieved from www.kidscan.org.nz/our-work/programmes
KidsCan, (n.d.). Shoes for
kids. Retrieved from www.kidscan.org.nz/our-work/programmes
KidsCanNZ, (2012). Must
watch video: New Zealand
Simon, C. (2012). Govt
signals it will feed hungry kids. Retrieved from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10838730
Hi Rachel
ReplyDeleteWhile I was reading your blog I was reminded that two years ago I watched an article on TVNZ (I can't remember the programme unfortunately)about child poverty and what KidsCan do to help support our low decile schools, by providing rain coats and shoes for the children. After watching the programme I went to the KidsCan website and started making a monthly donation. We, as a family, donate $15 a month to KidsCan. When I started donating to KidsCan I felt, and I still feel, that we need to help out at home (NZ) before we should be donating to organisations such as Oxfam or Unicef who support children living in poverty overseas. I think that these organisations do an amazing job and an important job, however, we need to help out at home first, before helping overseas.
When we started our donations to KidsCan I had a conversation with my children about poverty and what did they think that meant. Both of my girls instantly told me about the starving children they see on tv (much as you identified) and that those children are poor because they can't eat. I felt it was my job as a mother and a member of the NZ community to inform them that we have poverty here, in NZ. Both of my girls were shocked, and a little bit frightened. They wanted to know how we could help the children in their neighbourhood who needed help, and I told them that we were going t be donating to a local organisation who will help these children.
I feel that we are doing our little bit to help out in NZ, but as a teacher I know that my understanding of the causes of poverty will help me be a better teacher, particularly when working in a lower socioeconomic centre, or area.
Thanks
Angie