The NGO Save The Children has launched a striking campaign against child poverty in the United Kingdom titled It shouldn't happen here (It shouldn't happen here) in which he intends to raise awareness of the difficult situation that some British children live.
It is striking that the campaign was carried out in the United Kingdom, being one of the richest countries in the world, right? But the most worrying thing is that according to the head of Political Incidence of the Spanish division of Save The Children, Yolanda Román, it would be feasible for a similar campaign to be launched in Spain, given that child poverty rates are "highly alarming" and "seeing the current situation, they can only get worse."
It shouldn't Happen Here (It shouldn't happen here)
The campaign video has been made by actors, they are not "real" people, but pretend to attract attention and raise funds to alleviate the situation in which 3.5 million children live, according to figures from the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS).
Through what would be a child's play (the boy is a prince who takes care of his castle and sleeps in a tent) he wants to convey the reality of thousands of children sleeping on the floor because he does not have a bed in which sleep, go to school hungry because they don't eat a proper breakfast, or spend the winter without a coat or a good pair of shoes.
He also claims that many families in a precarious situation have cut the amount of food they eat daily, while some make only one meal a day.
Although the child in the video takes it as a game, according to the NGO, the children are very aware of the financial problems of their parents, who are increasingly struggling to pay the expenses and the lack of money makes them unhappy .
The campaign criticism They have not been waiting. Media such as the Daily Mail call it an "obscene political maneuver", believes that it is exaggerated to compare child poverty in the United Kingdom with that of true poverty that millions of children live in Africa, who only eat leaves of trees boiled by their mothers.
He also criticizes that the survey in which they have been based to make the video is not a representative sample (5,000 parents and 1,500 children), that the expression "not eating enough" has been interpreted as "starving" and that abuse of the facts, playing with emotions and the elaboration of political tricks.
In Spain it shouldn't happen either
In Spain the situation is also worrying. Apparently it would be one step away from implementing a similar campaign, although we have talked to Save The Children to contrast the information and they have told us that the statements have been taken out of context, exaggerated, and that At the moment there are no plans to do so, although it is not ruled out to do so in the future.
While there is no report of poverty in Spain, it is true that the situation of some children begins to be alarming. There are children who in June ate only once a day in the school canteen and nutrition problems are being detected.
A poor diet has an impact on poor school performance, coupled with the elimination of school routes, so there are children who cannot attend class, increasing absenteeism.
Although it is serious and this should not happen in Spain, or anywhere, I think that the Save The Children campaign is somewhat alarming. There are families that are going through a difficult situation, very difficult, but it cannot be compared to true poverty. Unless the situation gets worse, hopefully not.
British campaign It shouldn't Happen Here (It shouldn't happen here) It is a way to get attention. To the authorities, to review the aid to these families, and to individuals, as it appeals to the emotion to get to the heart of more people, and to the pocket, since the end of the campaign is tax collection.
Maybe I am very optimistic, but I think you should not confuse a difficult situation with children trapped in poverty.
Of course, you have to worry and do the right thing to ensure the welfare state, that the children eat enough, have a coat, shoes and go to school every day.
But we also don't have to lose the north comparing the situation with children who do not eat in days and end up starving, children who live in the street, children who go out to steal to eat, serious children of curable diseases, children who do not go to school or they are enslaved in exchange for something to be put in their mouths.
How do you see it? Do you consider the UK campaign alarmist? What do you think of the situation in Spain?
