Kiwi kids missing the essentials
LARGE numbers of Kiwi kids face a new school year without uniforms, stationery or school trips, with at least 200 families relying on one charity alone to help pay for basic essentials.
Kauri Hori starts at a Wellington college this year and his mum, Aurora Hori, is feeling the pinch on an already tight budget.
The Newlands mother is counting on someone sponsoring Kauri, 13, through the Kiwi Kid Sponsorship initiative run by Variety. While there are several charities helping hundreds, possibly even thousands of school kids in need, Kiwi Kid focuses on pupils being sponsored rather than receiving handouts.
But the charity currently has more than 200 children on its waiting list needing help this year.
Since launching two years ago sponsors have helped provide the essentials for almost 1200 kids across the country. As the first day back at school looms, struggling parents face the cost of providing school clothing, stationery and activity fees, which range from about $250 to more than $500.
Hori, who lives with Kauri, her four-year-old son Tawera and three-month-old baby girl Te Huriwai, receives $400 a week on the benefit.
Of that $300 is spent on bills which includes rent, power, phone and paying for wood in advance for the winter.
‘‘I’ve also just started to put aside for Christmas Club and The Warehouse Club for the end of the year because I don’t want the kids to miss out.’’
While Hori gets a lot of support from Work and Income, Birth Right and social workers, she says it’s still not enough to make ends meet.
‘‘Nothing is left over each week, I’m already sacrificing cigarettes and doing everything I can to get the priorities right.’’
She said her sporty son had already given up rugby because it was too expensive but she hoped he could pick it up again this year if she received some sponsorship.
Children’s Commissioner Russell Wills said young people living in these circumstances and much worse were not uncommon in New Zealand.
The Hawke’s Bay pediatrician is optimistic the situation will improve after a public poll before last year’s general election identified child poverty as New Zealanders’ top concern.
‘‘There’s huge public interest in addressing these issues and it has to be on the political agenda.
‘‘Being from a poor family should not determine your outcomes – every child should have the opportunity to succeed in New Zealand.’’
Wills said 17 per cent of Kiwi children were missing out on at least four necessities that most people would consider a given, such as a bed, clothing, shoes, a warm and dry house, food on the table and school supplies.
About 40,000 children
are admitted to hospital every year with conditions related to poverty that could have been treated if picked up earlier.
Wills said he was optimistic about the future because many people were doing good things for others. He also expected a real investment to be made in vulnerable children in May’s Budget.
Social Development Minister Anne Tolley said there were still significant numbers of parents across the country unable to provide breakfast and lunch for their children each day.
‘‘But that’s always been a problem and for generations schools have had a toaster for those children who don’t have breakfast or lunch.
‘‘We have a very generous welfare system ... I don’t think that any of us should back off from the fact it’s parents’ responsibility to feed their children,’’ she said.
Families in hardship came from varied backgrounds and cultures and needed different things, which is why ‘‘one solution from Government won’t fix it’’, Tolley said.