Dashboard > Team > The Helping Hands Our Idea
Why did your team choose to focus on this challenge?We chose to focus on this challenge number 3 -hidden poverty because we were working on No Poverty Day , SDG 1 in Global Citizenship Education. . We chose to focus on this topic because 1 in 5 people are affected by hidden poverty and this issue isn't talked about enough. This issue does not seem real for us as we don't experience it.
What have you learned about the challenge that you didn't know before?
We learned that 1 in 5 people are affected by this issue and that is 20% of the overall population. We learned what ways SVP helps people struggling and who are living in poverty. We learned a lot about what services the SVP provide and their service users- our Heroes. We never thought of people who are working might need the help of SVP. We always thought it was only people on social welfare or homeless people. We learned that people are marginalised because of poverty. We found out that people have different reactions to people living in poverty.
Outline the specific problem you would like to solve for your Hero and two or three solutions you think would help.
We contacted SVP in Limerick and asked for a breakdown of a typical service user who attends their drop in centre. SVP gave us excellent hero profiles - putting a name to a real situation, a real person who is experiences poverty and how this affects their lives. The service users come from all walks of life and all have their own challenges, one man was in a good job and living in his car. They had different stories of how they found themselves living in poverty. They are all trying their best to survive.
Ask your Mentor anything.
That they don't have to live in fear and a constant state of anxiety. They have some peace. They know they are supported by people who understand their situation and do not look down on them. They know there is a way out, a new future.