Written by Rehan R
Rehan is a Year 7 student passionate about investigating the cost of living crisis and how it affects youth and their mental and physical health. He believes in the power of young people, and wants young voices to be heard and addressed for the issues they care about most.
According to a 2023 report from Uniting Care, more than 880,000 children under the age of 15 in Australia are socially and economically isolated. The cost of living crisis is a major issue affecting everyone. It highlights that while the cost of necessities such as food, housing, and other commodities is rising, people's salaries are not keeping up.
Children and families are the hardest hit by this crisis. Many young kids cannot eat nutritious food, let alone get the sustenance they need to reach their potential every day. According to a Foodbank report, over 365,000 children in Victoria lived in severely food-insecure households last year. This significantly impacts not only their physical development but also their mental state.
We must act now to ensure young people have better opportunities in the future by giving them a fair chance today. Mission Australia reports that those who experienced poverty as children were 3.3 times more likely to be poor in the future, 2.5 times more likely to live in social housing, and 2.5 times more likely to experience financial stress. They are also more likely to suffer from poor mental and physical health.
In 10 years, I envision the eradication of poverty, because no Australian child should have to endure the vicious cycle of poverty. It is a fundamental human right, and I firmly believe that if we come together, young and old, we can create positive differences. This is my vision for the future, and together, we can make it. The countdown starts now.
To help with the cost of nutritious meals, the government can boost institutions like Foodbank, OzHarvest and many others. In order to provide children with a better education, free tutoring can be provided by community members or local libraries. By doing this, we can improve the lives of families and children.
If we implement these ideas in the next 10 years, Australia can be a new place.
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This speech was originally published with Raise Our Voice Australia, and read in Federal Parliament by Daniel Mulino (Fraser, VIC): https://youtu.be/GWimZVl8wQw?si=ZCsdQqB2gJG__5k6
Check out SBS's coverage of this, with an article and live TV segment: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/an-11-year-olds-message-to-australian-politicians/ibcs24l4x
Image Credits: https://antipovertyweek.org.au
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