It all started with this article: http://www.lilithgallery.com/articles/canada/2006/Singles-Mothers-Barely-Getting-By.html It's quite old already but let me tell you, things are not better today. Those women are at the edge of society, the invisibles, the marginals. They don't get child support because they are technically not divorced, and even if they were, the missing husbands wouldn't be any source of money. In addition, the lack of any legal separation puts these moms out of the social benefits system. They are everywhere. They work for no money at unbelievably nasty places, suffering humiliation and living in constant fear. They can't go to the shelters either because, in case you don't know, shelters have the habit of being full. Even if they, oh miracle!, are not full, they often require proof of abuse. Like if one is not beaten on a daily basis, they don't deserve a roof. Or a bed. Or food.
The system is not working. Clearly. It's simple. Why am I writing all this? First, because I am myself a single mom and I, for example, can not rent a proper place because I happen to not get a weekly pay stub. Therefore, I'm also some kind of marginal character, hanging between the skies and earth. A kite may be? Second, because I've tried to raise awareness of this issue for years and believe me, no one has ever cared. Third, because I've tried to raise money for housing and the "lack of non profit experience" in my CV seems more important to the big rich institutions than my desire to help.
Last but not least, because I have this big dream to win the jackpot of the lottery and to buy houses where these women would have a nice own place to stay at minimum rent. I would also love to give them the opportunity to work for I believe making own money boosts the self confidence. I wish to change lives. I also wish those who have the money stop travelling the world raising awareness of troubled places at the other end of the globe and first take a good close look around themselves. I wish Angelina Jolie gives away her French chateau and uses the rent to buy such houses. I wish Johnny Depp doesn't buy vineyards but shelters. And so on. And yes, it's good they give to charity (something) but let's agree twenty million for a movie is quite inappropriate in the light of the situation, no?
Or I simply wish to get the 50 million from LottoMAX and do it all myself.
No comments:
Post a Comment