Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Kiwi kids are weet-bix (if they're lucky) kids

Remember when Judy Bailey's kids in Exotic Poor Countries cost $1 a day?


$15 a month is 50c a day. South Auckland is cheap at half the price!
This. Is. Sick. Not the "Kids Can Stand Tall" charity itself mind, but the fact that the need for the charity exists at all. They give out raincoats and shoes and socks and food - as they put it, they're "meeting the basic needs of Kiwi children". The basic needs? the BASIC NEEDS?!? Yes folks, they're not joking. Because nobody else is meeting those needs... and when I say 'nobody' I mean the government, of all recent shades. This is a national disgrace but it isn't a National-only disgrace.
Oh sure, the Ministry of Health is a "platinum sponsor"... right up there with the Number 1 Shoe Warehouse. The government vaccum has produced advertising opportunity for the Golden Arches, as a raincoat "partner". Kids in poverty in NZ have become a business promotion vehicle. Their unmet need is being "leveraged" in corporate board rooms. This strongly private model of distibuting wealth to the neediest is a very scary one. How are children such a low priority in this country? This is neglect and abuse of the most systemic kind. As the charity frames it, it's an educational need - you're not going to learn if you're at school hungry.
How is this level of need tolerated and acceptable? Kids Can Stand Tall is the official charity of the All Blacks. Apparently this country is happy to flaunt its child poverty to the world during the World Cup. Business as usual I guess, not so shocking. For shame!
PS The Child Poverty Action Group is holding an info evening for young 'uns under 35 on August 17 at the Auckland Medical School (click here and scroll down for details).

4 comments:

  1. Hi, just tht u might be interested in this blog. Scroll down, he does lots of ad criticism.
    http://melindatankardreist.com/
    gota run, will peruse yrs later!

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  2. An interesting Australian female-advocacy blog - thanks for the tip Robin!

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  3. Yes, and sorry as the above should have been *she. Rushed, thought I would forget, and for some reason your blog doesn't register in my 'blogger' list(?). I've since added you to google reader though so I won't miss any of your posts :)

    I like your bus sticker totem pole blog and your Mangere bridge blog! haha, I still can't figure out what the bill board is actually trying to say. Could it be that the kind of work one does should have no bearing on the esteem one is held in the morning after a one night stand?

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  4. hmm, I don't know why the blog doesn't register.. I have a lot to learn about the blogosphere as well as my camera. Thanks for the feedback! - and that Mangere bridge billboard may remain, like the circumstances surrounding JFK's death, forever one of the greatest mysteries of all time. http://adribbing.blogspot.com/2010/07/of-course-darling.html

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