Child poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand is real – and it’s worse than most people realise. Right now, around 156,000 kids are living in material hardship, according to Stats NZ. But what does that actually look like? And what is it that many people in Aotearoa still misunderstand about child poverty? Capsule’s Vivien Beduya spoke to Kindness Collective founder (and the incredible) Sarah Page about what she and her team are seeing on the frontline.
Watch the interview on YouTube now.
For most of us, rising power bills in winter are something we expect and (usually) manage to budget for.
We can flick on the heat pump, pull out the electric blanket, or throw on extra layers to stay warm.
But for thousands of families living in poverty across Aotearoa, that’s just not an option.
Child Poverty Rates in New Zealand are NOT Getting Any Better
StatsNZ data for the year ended June 2024 revealed the number of children living in material hardship has jumped from 144,000 (12.5%) in 2023 to 156,000 (13.4%) in 2024.
Child poverty rates have stalled, and these figures showed the government has missed all its targets to improve it.
One in three children in Aotearoa go without the basics, says Kindness Collective founder and chief executive Sarah Page, and these numbers keep climbing year on year.
“Child poverty is Aotearoa’s hidden shame,” says Sarah.
“We hear stories everyday of hardworking parents trying really hard to make ends meet. And children living in homes [with] inadequate space. Housing is a real problem.”
She says hardworking parents are faced with the impossible decision of having to choose between keeping their kids warm, paying the rent or feeding them.
Enter the Kindness Collective
That is where the Kindness Collective steps in. With initiatives like the PJ Project, a child gets a fresh pair of PJs to keep them warm for every $10 donated.
“PJs to you and I might not seem like a big thing. But for many of the children that we’re supporting every year, it’s the first pair of pyjamas that they’ve owned.
“It’s something that is just for them. It means they don’t have to bed share… or share clothes,” she says.
As a nationwide charity, they support more than 120,000 people living in poverty and they have five other programmes to help families in need.
Unfortunately with the cost-of-living crisis and high unemployment rate, the reality is there are more people asking for help.
Sarah says they don’t know how organisations like theirs can keep up. One programme has had a 336% increase in demand. Two others have had more than a 50% increase.
“My inbox, all our social media platforms, are full of people requesting food, toiletries, blankets, PJs everyday.
“The need is getting worse and worse, and those requests are more and more. It’s truly frightening.”
Wondering How YOU Can Help?
Child poverty in Aotearoa isn’t just a statistic. It’s happening in homes, schools and communities across the country every single day.
And while it can feel overwhelming AND CONFRONTING that it’s happening in our own country, small acts still matter.
The PJ Project is accepting donations until the end of July and you can help provide a new pair of pyjamas to a child who may not have ever owned one.
As mentioned earlier, the Kindness Collective also runs a range of other programmes supporting families in need.
You can visit kindness.co.nz to donate, volunteer or spread the word.
Like Sarah said in the video interview, we are all two or three life situations away from needing help ourselves.
“I think [if] people knew that that could be you as well, might mean there’s a little bit more empathy…
“And it might mean there’s a bit of a narrative shift in the way that we think about people living in hardship.”
