Category: Giving back

StatsSA recently released the General Household survey 2018 results. Below are some of the findings that affect the youth in particular:

The base of grant recipients is far too large and unsustainable in the long run. It is, however, undeniable that the beneficiaries of these funds would be in complete distress without them. There is also a direct correlation between access to grants and improved childhood development which further strengthens the case for them to remain. According to a UNICEF report compiled by Alejandro Grinspun, ‘receiving the grant during the first two years of life significantly boosts child height, particularly among girls…Grants have helped close the gaps in nutrition between South Africa’s poorest and richest children.’ The graph below depicts how vulnerability to hunger has decreased significantly since 2002 which is attributed to an increased access to grants.

The graph below made me think a lot of my children and my interaction with them. After a long working day, reading to my children can often feel like such a chore. It is also evidently a luxury considering that almost half of the households surveyed have never had a parent/guardian read a book with a child.

How can we help?

Every child deserves a warm bed, regular nutritious meals and a loving and protected environment in which to thrive. If you cannot find any child in need to support directly, perhaps you can consider supporting a non-profit organisation that would benefit children in need. Here are a few links that may help:

http://www.wecanchange.co.za/PROFILES/NGONPOAZ/tabid/339/Default.aspx

Alphabetical list of organisations

I stumbled across African Teen Geeks this week. Such a great cause

https://africateengeeks.co.za

This is one that I personally support.

http://ketexfoundation.co.za/

Today’s children are tomorrow’s future leaders. How they are raised today will directly impact and shape our world in a few years. We can all make a difference. And we should.

What better way to commemorate youth month than highlight issues surrounding the youth of this country, and to also try and seek solutions to these issues.  

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is a body, who’s mission it is to promote policies that improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world by providing a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems. The OECD released a report with rather distressing findings. A summary of some of their findings are depicted in the graph below (these figures were updated in July 2018):

In summary,

• child poverty rates increased in 13 of the 20 OECD countries with available data
• poverty rates tend to be much higher in jobless households than in households where at least one adult works
• on average across the OECD, 63.4% of individuals living in jobless households with children also live in relative income poverty, compared to only 9.2% of individuals in working households with children
• out of 48 member countries, South Africa has the 2^nd highest percentage of children with a household disposable income below the poverty threshold.

Raising children today is far more challenging than it’s ever been before with so many variables to consider. Compounding this effect, particularly in South Africa, are the alarmingly high levels of income inequality and poverty.  Children are the most affected by this.

What’s the solution then? If you are reading this article, you are one of the fortunate few and you have a unique opportunity to make a difference. One of the best things we can do is to equip our children for the future (we’ll suggest a few ideas during the month) and to try raise wonderful people that will make meaningful contributions to the world.