Child poverty is becoming increasingly visible due to rising energy and food prices and the consequences of the corona crisis. The municipality of Helmond wants to do something about it, for example by offering a free breakfast at school. Jason is 10 years old and lives in poverty. Jason and his mother regularly visit BeBizzy, a charity organization in Helmond. There, people can catch their breath in a cozy living room and pick something up in the shop. In that quietness we speak to them. Jason: “If there is more money, I get goosebumps.”
Anjeska, Jason’s mother, was sent away by her mother at the age of 8 to steal food. She tied a backpack to her stomach. Picked up her go-kart, ‘because then I could take more with me’ and drove to the farmers in the area. “Whatever the farmer had, I loaded my backpack. I was so afraid the farmer would find out. My mother thought other things were more important than us having to eat and drink.”
“I just didn’t want to be poor anymore, but that didn’t work out.”
Anjeska has been traumatized by her childhood. “Most girls want to be a princess or a lawyer. I just didn’t want to be poor anymore, but I couldn’t.”
Anjeska is illiterate. She will hardly be able to read this article. She lives on benefits and has four children. A fifth child, who is not hers, lives with her. “That’s my bonus child,” she laughs.
Everything went well with Anjeska until one of her children became seriously ill. The medical costs, transport costs to hospitals and overnight stays turned out to be too much for the family. Poverty found its way back to the next generation.
Anjeska and 10-year-old Jason talk candidly about their situation. “We have no time for shame, we are surviving,” says Anjeska. Child poverty is often still a hidden problem. Dianne Bruno of BeBizzy: “A lot of children don’t know that they live in poverty, they often think it’s normal,” she says. “And parents try to keep it a secret.”
But Jason isn’t from yesterday and knows exactly what’s going on.
Jason: “I wanted a water pistol from the monkey shop.”
Anjeska: “We call it the monkey shop, because there is a monkey on the front. I can’t read or write well. It’s the Intertoys, I think.”
Jason: “Mommy said no, Mommy always says no.”
Anjeska: “I can’t pull myself out of poverty, because I can’t do much. I used to have to take care of my mother at home.”
Jason: “I don’t know how I feel if I don’t get something, it just sucks.”
Anjeska has to get by on 120 euros a week. “So I really have to do everything I can and because of the medical costs for one of the children, that is difficult.” Anjeska often does not make ends meet. When the week is over, her fridge is empty.
Anjeska: “We call them leftover days.”
Jason: “We always have something to eat, you know.”
Anjeska: “I go to the bins at the back of the supermarket, if you know what I mean.”
Jason: “Huh?”
Anjeska: “It’s still good and then I put it in a bag, sorry.”
Jason: “I didn’t know that at all!”
Anjeska, crying with trembling hands: “I think I confessed something by accident.”
Jason: “That’s not bad at all, Mom.”
Anjeska: “Do you know that I got your mountain bike from there too?”
Jason: “Really?”
Anjeska: “It was like new and was simply in a container. I then opened my leg, I had to have it.”
Sometimes there is more money. Anjeska gets something from others and sells it on. “I was given meat, prepared it and sold it again. Then I had more money and I could buy a birthday present so Jason could go to a party. We do weird things to make money.”
“I had nothing left. I was so scared.”
For example, Anjeska had to steal again. The kids stayed home with instructions to call their uncle if she didn’t come back from the grocery store. “I had nothing left at all. I didn’t have a babysitter either. I was so scared. What if I am arrested? Who will take care of my children?” Jason knows what has happened when Anjeska returns with full bags. “We had a lot of food then.”
Eating is already difficult, cool clothes even more difficult. It has caused Jason a lot of trouble. He was often bullied. He now attends another school. It is better there and he has many friends.
Jason: “I once wore socks with stars. That’s for sissies.”
Anjeska: “It bothers him, you know. This subject remains heavy.”
Jason: “I got beat up by 5 guys.”
Anjeska: “He is still afraid of one of them.”
Jason: “They tripped me too. Because I’m wearing different clothes and a very old phone. The shirt I’m wearing now is from Nike, so that’s good. But the pants I’m wearing now are not good.”
Jason doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up, but the police academy seems to suit him.
Anjeska: “Jason, I can’t afford that. This is what I’m worried about, isn’t it? My children’s education. Can they get that? Have you ever seen how expensive books are? My God.”
Anjeska doesn’t have time to talk any more. Her sick son needs his medicine. “That is very precise, you know.” Jason can quickly find something in the shop of BeBizzy. Moments later, he walks out of the shop beaming with a cuddly toy monkey.
Jason and Anjeska’s names have been changed to protect their privacy.