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Four Corners: Sept 24

Children from five families living below the poverty line talk to Four Corners to show us the world from their point of view.

On Monday night,  children from five families living below the poverty line talk to Four Corners to show us the world from their point of view.

“Growing Up Poor” is reported by Sarah Ferguson.

We hear from the adult world all the time about what poverty is and how to fix it, but rarely from the children who experience it.

Nobody likes to admit they’re poor but children from five families allowed Four Corners into their lives to show us the world from their point of view: “My parents get paid on Friday right, so during the week they probably have money. Wednesday, Thursday or sometimes Tuesday, you know, what are we supposed to eat?”

At 12, Jessica has a bleak view of her future: “A good job, like where you get like heaps of money. I’d be like a decent mum, like a husband with no violence and everything, so it could be a happy family, you know, but like that would never happen…”

These are children living in areas of concentrated disadvantage where the adult world can be a scary place:
Hayden: “…my dad, he got bashed, he got sliced with a knife.”

Some remain optimistic despite the chaos around them:

Dale : “Anything is possible when you put all your heart into it. Just try your best. I’ve been saying that a lot haven’t I?”

The question arises, why isn’t more being done to break the cycle of disadvantage? Will this generation of Australia’s children be given more to hope for than their parents?

Monday 24th September at 8.30 pm on ABC 1.

One Response

  1. I have a second set of advice to try and avoid the welfare trap. It might be completely impractical for some areas like the Outback. At 15 get a part time job. Probably retail or takeaway shop. Including McDonald’s or the like. Save up for a vehicle and get a driver’s licence. Avoid drugs and other bad influences including violence if possible.

    Try to stick at going to school. It might need to be part time at work and part time at school. The vehicle might also help you get to a late night library to study. If your school has a “work experience” scheme then that might be a way to get that job including at KFC or the like. Go for it. Act responsibly and reliably. It could also help you if you choose to study at University or TAFE. If needs be also part time so you can afford to live in the now like to eat everyday. Look after yourself and make sure you get enough sleep.

  2. If people want to escape poverty my advice is stay in school if it’s possible. Now if it’s practical and you come from a disastrous area with no libraries that you can get to. Plus a stupid government school that library shuts down at 3.30pm so most can’t do any homework. And home life makes it impossible to stay at home to study. Then try part time for Year 11 & 12. Attend school full time and do the homework in the off periods.

    If due to money you have to do school full time. Find a TAFE near you or one you can live near. They used to have late night libraries. So you can do the homework and not be harassed. Unfortunately State Governments are stuffing up the TAFEs to make sure there is more poverty and crime.

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