Katharine Hall And Jo Monson posted an article about South African Poverty. They say that help for poor children ends too early.
In South Africa the majority of children are born into poor households. Poverty is associated with unemployment and exacerbated by low levels of education, and so the stage is set for yet another generation to remain trapped in poverty.
There are a number of government programmes designed to support children in households with little or no income. These include the child support grant, free schooling in poor areas, a school fee exemption policy and a national school nutrition programme. But at present, children aged 14 to 17 are excluded from the range of government policies, targeted toward younger age groups.
Teenagers are at an important developmental phase. Investment in their wellbeing and especially their education will have positive effects on their lives and may help break the cycle of poverty.
Sadly, these children have potential, but the lack of adequate access to necessities, such as education, food, clothes, and shelter, traps these children into poverty.
Unfortunately, this problem exists all over the world. Even in the United States, half of all children born into poverty will remain in poverty. These means that they remain in poverty not because they as a result of never receiving a fair chance to reach their potential.
We need to put an end to this non-meritocratic classism. We need a world in which all people have opportunity. We can create such a world by providing all children access to food, clothes, shelter, and education.
What do you think?