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St John’s Gardens New Brighton beach, 1913 My last two posts generated an interesting discussion about childhood, poverty and happiness. I am sure that children from an early age understand poverty, or at least hunger and the cold of winter. However, a superficial look at the three young boys sunning themselves in St John’s Gardens [...]
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On the first shot...I detect a distinct lack of two whole Fry's Boys.
I wonder if two of the boys on the left are twins in St Johns gardens photo if not I think are brothers.
"Of course I want more money, because ultimately food is the thing you want in life. You know there’s
lots of problems, we don’t have enough money to get food for ourselves...we have only two goats and
two cows and little land...”
– 12-year-old boy, Bihar, India
“Look at me – I am wearing these clothes because I have come out with the cows and the goats.
When I wear good clothes, then I feel all energetic and good. But when I am not wearing good clothes
I feel tired and I start smelling.”
– 12-year-old boy, Bangalore, India
“Children want to be the same as all the others and they can’t be because they don’t have the same
clothes. Some people think they are better than others because they are richer. They think things like
‘You look bad. Where did you find these clothes from? You look like a person from the street.’ Just
looking you up and down is enough to make you feel bad.”
– 17-year-old girl, Minsk, Belarus
“I feel bad. I feel like the odd one out...You lack self-esteem; you feel like you shouldn’t talk wherever
you are, like you shouldn’t be expressing ideas. You feel lonely, you feel ashamed.”
– 16-year-old girl, Rusinga, Kenya
“Poverty means unequal relationships with others. If you are poor, you suffer from stigma. Others look
at you in a certain way like you’re worthless. Feeling unimportant: No one will listen to me, no one
cares for me...I’m poor, I don’t count, I’m a piece of dirt.”
– 17-year-old girl, Minsk, Belarus
From...
CCF
CHRISTIAN CHILDREN’S FUND
2821 Emerywood Parkway, Richmond, Virginia 23294
1-800-776-6767
www.ChristianChildrensFund.org
Obviously lucid and highly proficient in the English tongue. (???)
Children may know hunger, cold and fear. To know poverty IMHO one must first know luxury/plenty. The quotes above were 'taken' by an American Christian, I assume. I note more 'hard-sell' than understanding.