Save the children

[Mich the Tester]

Africa if they stopped shooting each other blowing things up and spending all the Aid on new BMW's for the royalty they might have a chance.

I don't think your average Joe in Africa really has much say in that.

[vetran]

I don't think your average Joe in Africa really has much say in that.

precisely, stop giving the Royalty money, destabilise their power base by providing work and facilities directly, with a little bit of luck they will been overthrown.

[tractor]

....

precisely, stop giving the Royalty money, destabilise their power base by providing work and facilities directly, with a little bit of luck they will been overthrown.

Exactly and if supermarket chains stopped buying up large swathes of their land to keep our shops filled with fruit and veg all year round they may have enough food. If the Indian government actually opened up their grain stores and used it to feed their children, things might be different.

But oh, people don't want polytunnels spoiling their views in this country, I forgot.

There is also a little matter of the culture where having so many kids because of the pitiful survival rate is a part of life. And death.

[escapeUK]

I don't think your average Joe in Africa really has much say in that.

They thought the same of the peasants in France and England. Look what happened.

Let Africa evolve, thank goodness no one meddled in our development thinking they knew better.

[mudskipper]

UK child poverty: it shouldn't happen here | Save the Children UK

Just where exactly are their priorities? Looking after fat kids with roofs over their heads or this?

Poverty in Africa: Inside the Problem

So do you think families in Africa should get state benefits? Or should they open supermarkets?

[DodgyAgent]

So do you think families in Africa should get state benefits? Or should they open supermarkets?

They should be recruitment agents

[d000hg]

How much of the poverty is down to "lifestyle choices" or poor parenting

Why does that matter? Children suffering because of terrible parents are still suffering.

And there are LOTS of families who don't fritter money on Sky or fags who can't pay for food and clothes for their kids. Just because you live in a middle-class bubble and never cross paths with them (why would you), doesn't mean they're not there.

Is it so hard to believe a benefits system which gives too much to some people would be flawed the other way at times?

This is what Food Banks are for, tbh I would be as ignorant to all this myself except our church has links to our local food bank and debt relief charities and we get to hear about the real people they help. They know a chancer when they see one, a mother who collapses in tears when given a couple of tins of beans is not a chancer.

[bless 'em all]

They should be recruitment agents

Christ, they've barely any dignity now .....

[DodgyAgent]

Why does that matter? Children suffering because of terrible parents are still suffering.

And there are LOTS of families who don't fritter money on Sky or fags who can't pay for food and clothes for their kids. Just because you live in a middle-class bubble and never cross paths with them (why would you), doesn't mean they're not there.

Is it so hard to believe a benefits system which gives too much to some people would be flawed the other way at times?

This is what Food Banks are for, tbh I would be as ignorant to all this myself except our church has links to our local food bank and debt relief charities and we get to hear about the real people they help. They know a chancer when they see one, a mother who collapses in tears when given a couple of tins of beans is not a chancer.

I always hear alarm bells when I hear the patronising words "real people" But let us set that aside.

In the UK there is a welfare state that should be looking after kids whether it is or it isnt our kids are fed and have a roof over their heads, which is more than can said of kids in Africa. If a kid is ill then it can go down to the hospital and get treatment. My point is not to say we have no problems - we most certainly do- but that the problems our kids suffer are irrelevant compared to the problems that kids in Africa face.

Agai I will say it. yes it may help these kids if save the children get involved but surely their priorities - given that they do not have endless resources why on earth are they not giving the starving, homeless and disease ridden kids of Africa their full attention? Why now are they getting involved. If there are children suffering from poverty now there were also children suffering from the same poverty 5 years ago.

I am sorry to be cynical but what they are doing in the UK is entirely politically motivated.

[d000hg]

"should be" being the important phrase here. A far lower % of our kids are in real trouble than in Africa but there are still some around. It's more shocking it happens here where as you say, we have far better infrastructure in place (even with its flaws).