Dashboard > Team > The Gracious Givers Our Idea
Why did your team choose to focus on this challenge?We chose this challenge because hidden poverty affects one in five people in Ireland. We are also learning about the affects of poverty in GCE. Living on a budget is often looked down upon in our society today. People living in poverty are sometimes blamed for their situation. This is extremely unfair as there are also lots of kids who are currently living in poverty. We want to destigmatize poverty and help people understand anybody can be affected by poverty no matter their circumstances.
What have you learned about the challenge that you didn't know before?
learning about hidden poverty made us realise that even working people can sometimes find it hard to pay bills. We know how people living in hidden poverty struggle trying to live and how hard it is for families trying to give their children the best life they can. We also know the stereotypes linked to hidden poverty. We know more about the services the SVP provide for people living in poverty. Sometimes society can marginalise people experiencing poverty. We all should be doing what we can to support people.
Outline the specific problem you would like to solve for your Hero and two or three solutions you think would help.
Our heroes are James and his sister Sophie. James is a 16 year old boy who is missing out on so many aspects of a teenage life because he and his family are experiencing poverty. Sophie is only 6 years old but she is already getting picked on only because she doesn't have trendy clothes but also because she is a wheelchair user. Both parents are working and do not qualify for a medical card. They have to find the money to pay for all Sophie's medical bills on top of all their other bills.
Ask your Mentor anything.
James and Sophie are bullied in school. They don't have what other kids have. All this bullying is starting to get to their heads. We want to help James and Sophie. We want them to recognise that their situation is not their fault and that it can happen to anyone. Their parents are hard workers and they do everything they can to give them the life they deserve. Hidden poverty can happen overnight and no one is immune to it. We would try to arrange a medical card for Sophie to ease the pressure of the medical bills.