Salzburgers help

Child poverty on the rise: “We are filling a gap”

A poor person is a one-person household with less than 1392 euros net per month. Poverty does not only affect adults: one in four welfare recipients is under the age of 14.

(Bild: Viktoryia Verstak)

(Bild: zVg)

Child poverty is not always visible, but it is on the rise. One in four welfare recipients is under the age of 14. The Salzburg association "Children have a future" helps families in need.

Children who sleep on mattresses on the floor, come to school in worn-out clothes and have to watch their friends play soccer instead of playing themselves: This is everyday life for a fifth of all under-24s in Salzburg. "I grew up in an SOS Children's Village myself, so I know what I'm talking about," says Alfred Pozetti (53). The father of three supports disadvantaged children and poor families alongside his "bread and butter" job as a financial advisor: he has been chairman of the Salzburg association "Children have a future" since 2010.

Many of those in need are unaware of the many resources and offers available to them. There needs to be a single website for families with contact details and links to all the public authorities.

Alfred Pozetti, Vorsitzender des Salzburger Vereins „Kinder haben Zukunft“

The association collects donations and arranges sponsors for the children, who "give them an hour and go for an ice cream". The twelve members work on a voluntary basis and lend a helping hand to the public sector. Their work is becoming increasingly important because "poverty is on the rise," says Pozetti. A poor person is a one-person household with less than 1392 euros net per month. Poverty doesn't just affect adults: one in four welfare recipients is under 14 years old.

Lack of orientation in the support jungle
Is the state not fulfilling its duty of care? "We are filling a gap," says Pozetti. "The state can't do everything." And those in need know nothing about many of the resources and offers. A central platform would be desirable to help people find their way through the jungle of support. "Families need a single website with contact details and links for all public agencies," says the 53-year-old. So that every family knows where they can go with which issue and doesn't have to search for a long time.

"When his father died, he stopped speaking." 
In 14 years and thousands of children, Pozetti remembers one boy the most: "When his father died, he stopped talking." This went on for two years until the association paid for riding therapy and the boy stroked horses and suddenly told the animals what he missed.