One million of its population queue on a regular basis for free bread, butter and fruits.
In one particular school, 17 children out of its 60 students suffer from starvation everyday because their parents are simply too poor to buy bread. This is in one small town where it is lined with pretty little houses and manicured gardens.
1 in every 6 Germans is classified as poor.
This is despite the fact that 700 million euros are being pumped out by the german government each year for social welfare.
Yet the number of poor people in Germany is increasing. From 12% to 18% in a period of 7 years. There are over 82 millions inhabitants in this country.
'Do you know someone who is poor?' A question such as this 10 years ago was considered as rhetoric. However, it is no longer so today.
Even though Germany is the largest national economy in Europe, the third largest by nominal GDP in the world, and ranked fifth by GDP.
Something is not right here.
I, like the rest of the working population in Germany have to pay tax. Almost 50% of my monthly pay. It accounts for pension, health insurance, social welfare and unemployment insurance. The net amount, thereafter, would be just about sufficient for a single person to rent a small apartment and perhaps pamper himself/herself in some simple indulgences once in a while.
A fellow colleague who takes the same bus as me to work everyday once lets slip that ever since she moved out from her parents', she has to watch her pennies. A jar of Nutella is now too expensive for her.
To pay 100 euros for a MP3 player is too much for another colleague. She can only afford a 20 euros one. As our pay is not due till mid month, she complains that she has to stay put at home for the next one week as she only has 3 euros left in her pocket.
I do not know how much they earn.
But I am gravely shocked. What a stark contrast to my fellow Singaporeans back home. A look in our MRTs tells a totally different story. You will find the young and the old with the latest and most fanciful handphones, itouch or iphone. Who cares about ipod videos anymore? While not forgetting their designer bags and attires. They hang out at the most trendy cafes and dine in restaurants and make plans for holiday trips a few times per year.
Therefore, imagine my struggle attempting to match Germany's image of a strong economical power with its rising proverty rate.
I am trying to come to terms with the tough reality.
5 comments:
you should seriously consider coming back home. We are the strongest in Asia u know, dun play play.
btw Miss Hoonie, u havent tell me the gift ur mil bought u. Im still stratching my head on the 8888. wth is that?!?!?!?
I left Asia when it is at its strongest and ended up in Europe where it is declining... Ha!Perfect timing!
Because hunny, we live in a 'babysitting state' we're / have been constantly been babysat. we are small. alot of us has not seen the real world. dats reality. it's tough, not nice, fluffy and cushioned here. it's time for the singapore gal to get tough!
But having said that, it's happening already. we're already feeling the ripples of the inflation. One point I would like to make here is, we (i.e. Singaporeans need to look out there, learn to be more community conscious. there are alot of pple suffering, there are poor pple in our Singapore. Let's look in our own backyard. And help others.
D
Hey Galfren! Thanks for dropping by. Hope to see you here more often ya.
hey girl, it amazes me. I guess it strikes you twice as hard when you realize that your fellow colleague is struggling to make it through the month eh. A number of my colleagues have 2 jobs too. If my hubby weren´t working, we wouldn´t be able to survive on my salary, that´s for sure.
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