Video puts focus on child poverty
An animated video driving home the importance of feeding kids breakfast has been released by the University of Auckland.
The one minute 34 second video was put together by Investing In Our Nation’s Kids – a research project that aims to advance the immediate priorities put forward in the Expert Advisory Group’s report to the Children’s Commissioner on child poverty solutions.
The video opens with the hard fact that more than one in four Kiwi kids lives in poverty.
‘‘That’s 270,000 children, enough to fill our biggest rugby stadium 51⁄ times,’’ it says.
The clip goes on to discuss how hunger affects children’s capability for learning and the merits of a nationally supported breakfast club programme.
The video is the brainchild of Siouxsie Wiles, a microbiologist from the university who is working with Wellingtonbased animators Mohawk Media.
Dr Wiles says many Kiwis don’t know poverty is a huge issue here.
‘‘It plays a major role in our horrendous rates of infectious diseases,’’ she says.
‘‘We are hoping the animations will raise awareness of not only the number of Kiwi kids living in poverty, but how we can get them out of poverty.’’
She says if the Government, businesses and whanau all acted together ‘‘we could pull those 270,000 kids out of poverty and let them fulfil their potential’’.
Estimates for implementing food in schools programmes range from $5 million to $10m a year.
Food programmes not only promote a healthy diet but also improve children’s attendance, behaviour and ability to learn.
The animation is the second of its kind – the first video released in April addressed the need for a warrant of fitness for housing.