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MeMe
United Kingdom
541 Posts |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
 Posted - 15 Mar 2011 : 13:51:38
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Interesting comparison MeMe,child poverty exists in the UK 1.6 million children,maybe accurate,but accurate under what paramiters ? That is not defined anywhere that I can find.
Gambiabev's posting is clear,numbers mean very little,and no child anywhere in the world should suffer hunger.
Gambiabev's phrase is the one to go with within UK "there is a benefits system which provides for very basic needs, so there is no need for anyone legally in the country to go hungry." as UK and Gambia cannot really be equated in poverty terms Gambia has no form of state benefit to assist such children. |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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MeMe
United Kingdom
541 Posts |
Posted - 15 Mar 2011 : 14:06:24
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quote:
Originally posted by toubab1020
Interesting comparison MeMe,child poverty exists in the UK 1.6 million children,maybe accurate,but accurate under what paramiters ? That is not defined anywhere that I can find.
Gambiabev's posting is clear,numbers mean very little,and no child anywhere in the world should suffer hunger.
Gambiabev's phrase is the one to go with within UK "there is a benefits system which provides for very basic needs, so there is no need for anyone legally in the country to go hungry." as UK and Gambia cannot really be equated in poverty terms Gambia has no form of state benefit to assist such children.
I take it neither you nor Bev have ever tried to 'live' on the very basic money you would receive via benefits? Get real here .... you must know how much the cost of living has risen here in the UK and when it comes to a choice between food on the table or heating and basic clothing needs what would you choose?
And what about our elderly? Are they 'pretending' that they are suffering too???
What about people on disability living allowance? |
It is better to die standing than to live on your knees - Ernesto Guevara de la Serna |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 15 Mar 2011 : 14:41:10
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Wooooooooooooo there, I take on board what you say and agree with MOST of it but we are talking here about NO FOOD ,GOING HUNGRY ,cost of living has risen here in the UK,the benefits system is not perfect and is not meant to give receipients a comfortable lifestyle,as Bev wrote its basic.The Elderly have a problem with the value of their savings being depleted by stupid interest rates,State pensions are now no longer enough for a comfortable old age.The disabled living on very little not good,mentally handicapped people and physically handicapped have different needs,which have to be evaluated carefully,I understand this but FOOD is a universal need and NO CHILD should have to endure hunger in UK or Gambia.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 15 Mar 2011 14:42:45 |
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MeMe
United Kingdom
541 Posts |
Posted - 15 Mar 2011 : 14:55:55
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[quote]Originally posted by toubab1020
NO CHILD should have to endure hunger in UK or Gambia.
Agreed! And all I was trying to say is that there are hungry people in the UK too but for some odd reason this is being swept under the Bantaba carpet  |
It is better to die standing than to live on your knees - Ernesto Guevara de la Serna |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 15 Mar 2011 : 15:38:51
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Just like some Gambians posters here on bantaba,things critical of Gambia are "swept under the carpet" to a certain extent,bit like people from Scotland and people from England sometimes have different views and are certain that their country is the best 
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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MeMe
United Kingdom
541 Posts |
Posted - 15 Mar 2011 : 16:34:05
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Hmmm ... am well disenchanted with the whole of the UK at the moment so couldn't possibly comment 
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It is better to die standing than to live on your knees - Ernesto Guevara de la Serna |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 15 Mar 2011 : 17:02:40
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Hmmmmmmmmm.........you think you are alone We want a holiday in the sun  ............where should we go ........any ideas
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 15 Mar 2011 : 20:55:07
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Me me, usually the definition of poverty is a relative concept. So poverty in UK will be considered differently to poverty in Gambia.
In Gambia many people do go hungry. Health will be compromised by lack of nutritional foods.
In UK there is a benefits system. As world food prices increase the poor will suffer more as they spend proportionally more of their little income on food. IF parents put their children's needs before their own I don't think there is a need for children in the UK to go hungry. BUT they may eat cheap, poor nutritional value foods. They may have a diet with little fresh food. This will also have an effect on health.
I certainly don't think UK is perfect.
I think we are all on the same side here really. I believe in the united nations rights of the child and the every child matters principles of education.
In an ideal world all children would have enough food to eat, a caring family, a good education and so on......
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 16 Mar 2011 : 02:29:23
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I couldn't agree with you more Me Me I think Bev is sweeping the hunger in the Uk under the carpet too. People in the UK are suffering from the worst recession ever. To make matters worse there will be severe Public Sector cuts. The reality is that thousands of people are facing redundancy in the new financial year alone and the economic down turn efficiency savings are going to make it even more difficult for the most vulnerable in society to survive. The welfare budget is going to be slashed at the same time fuel and food are rising. Whilst wages are being cut or frozen.
For those of you in the UK who choose to deny these facts are living in cloud cockoo land or in a parallel universe or both. In Britain the poor who go hungry and sleep rough on the street in the rain and snow in shop doorways.More people are going to face homelessness because of changes in benefit That is why we have volunteers running soup kitchens. We also have charities such as St Mungos, Thamesreach, Shelter and other charities to try to assist the hardest to reach.
Thousands of children are abused and neglected that's why we have Barnardos, NSPCC, The National Children Home and other charities set up specifically to help them. There are hundreds of cases of children being let down by the system. Bev your presumption that children in the UK go hungry because Parents have put their needs before their children is flawed. For example if a parent is made redundant and they won't receive any benefits from the state until they have a certain amount of savings and it can take several weeks or even months to receive any benefits from the state. Therefore how is it in that case has the Parent put their needs before their child's? It's not as if people living in Britain can grow sufficient food to supplement their families staple diet as many can do in Gambia is it now?
Food for thought
Peace
Sister Omega
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1361756/Food-price-rise-hits-UK-families-hardest.html |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 16 Mar 2011 : 03:01:53
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Bev here you go again making presumptions my last visit to Gambia I was 300 miles away from the coast at my family's compound. Where I saw plenty of vehicles and flourishing enterprises in the town. In the area that I stayed most people had TV's and mobile phones. They were on facebook and browsing the internet on their mobiles. Even in the villages men and women have a mobile phones and so do the teenagers. As I keep on saying Gambia is changing and now with the construction of the South Bank nearing conclusion and the new bridge to be built across the river Gambia to join up with Senegal more business opportunties are going to open up. In my view your account of Gambia is outdated. As for agriculture more farmers are diversifying and market gardening is thriving in the parts of the countryside that I visited. Also there were new houses and mosques being built. The problems people were challeneged besides high youth unemployment was disposing of rubbish particularly plastic bags and the main server coming down at the internet cafe.
I think some of the descriptions you give of 20 teens 2010+ Gambia is more reminicient of naughties (2000+) Gambia than now.
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
Edited by - Sister Omega on 16 Mar 2011 03:03:14 |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 16 Mar 2011 : 19:55:25
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Sister Omega I make no secret of the fact I havent been to Gambia for 3 years due to my own financial constraints.
That is why i comment alot less than I used to as I feel I dont have alot fresh to say.
As I said before poverty is open to different definitions. In Gambia it is still an absolute; people going hungry with not enough of lifes basics such as clean water and an education.
Of course the UK isn't perfect and we will indeed have hard times ahead, but it is not comparable with gambian levels of poverty. |
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MeMe
United Kingdom
541 Posts |
Posted - 17 Mar 2011 : 16:52:40
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quote:
Originally posted by gambiabev
Of course the UK isn't perfect and we will indeed have hard times ahead, but it is not comparable with gambian levels of poverty.
OK this is such a mindblowingly ridiculous comment that I feel the need to reply, Bev!  Poverty is poverty!!! No levels required!!!
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It is better to die standing than to live on your knees - Ernesto Guevara de la Serna |
Edited by - MeMe on 17 Mar 2011 16:58:13 |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 17 Mar 2011 : 18:57:47
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Me me, poverty can be defined as an absolute or as a comparative.
People living on a dollar a day can be said to be in absolute poverty.
However, if everyone they know is living on the same amount then comparatively poverty won't be felt as harshly. IE they may be hungry, but everyone they know is hungry.This means there will still be social cohesion even though people are poor.
In western countries in absolute terms people usually have their basic needs met and have a welfare state that provides more than a dollar a day. So perhaps very few are in absolute poverty.But comparatively the people on benefits or low wages may FEEL poor because they can't afford things that their neighbours can afford, such as a car, or nice Christmas presents or a holiday.
Research shows that more equal societies are generally happier.
The ideal is moderate wealth for all to provide for everyday needs.
A decent education for all.
A decent health service for all.
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 17 Mar 2011 : 20:26:07
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MeMe I totally agree with you.
quote:
But comparatively the people on benefits or low wages may FEEL poor because they can't afford things that their neighbours can afford, such as a car, or nice Christmas presents or a holiday.
Bev your argument makes no sense at all to me.
So, if a child from a Lone Parent family with no extended family living in London next door to a millionaire. Received a Christmas present,Birthday present and went on holiday to Spain. But had no food in their house because their Parent had lost their Cleaning job on return from holiday.
Then when their Parent went to seek social assistance and applied for Jobseekers Allowance was told it would take up to three months for their claim to be processed.
Are you seriously saying that this child would not be poor and hungry. Even if they were receiving £80.80 per month Child Benefit to tied them over in the mean time.
Out of that income their parent would have to contribute to the rent, pay their fuel and buy food until their benefits were processed.
The child was only able to receive onemeal per day at school. Are you seriously saying that this child isn't poor and hungry?
Whereas another child received no christmas or brithday present shared a communal tv, DVD ate communal meals. They had chickens and goats in their back yard and a vegetable patch.They had an extended social network. Some of their family and neighbours had jobs and others didn't but they all pulled together through good and hard times. They travelled outside of their local region but rode a bicycle to and from school everyday. They ate three meals per day. Their compound had £80.80 per month coming into the household would you say this family was poor and hungry?
Peace Sister Omega
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Peace
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