GNRC in Chile asked the children in their interfaith network: What does poverty mean to you…?
The consultation was held on February 17, at the El Arca Children’s Home in Santiago City. Fifteen children ages 7 to 13 spoke freely with a 4-facilitator team about unequal distribution of resources.
The children were handed magazines and asked to cut out images and to define what poverty meant to each:
“Poverty means that after an earthquake people have no house, no clothes, and that is why it is poverty.” “Poverty is that the forests are burning and there will be no trees left.” “Poverty is when grandma is at an institution and when there are earthquakes and their house falls, and they go to institutions and eat delicious food.” “There is poverty because at times there are fights, and people leave home and then they have no more home, and they have to be abandoned sleeping in the streets.”
“Poverty is when people have no shoes, their clothes are torn, and their faces are sad.”
The children’s answers about poverty were mainly in response to those people affected by the earthquake and tsunami in 2010 in Chile.
They were asked to choose a way they would change the situation of poverty in the image they had chosen.
“To stop the forests and trees from burning we have to go and put them out, and not burn trees.”
“I would send a letter… not only to the president, but to all people, helping for instance when they have clothes they can give away …to people who don’t have any…”
“I would change it with friendship… I would invite them to my house to give them food, and let them sleep…”
Written by Tania Seguel
GNRC Chile.
