Once poor, always poor? | DW Documentary

One in four of Berlin’s children lives in poverty. The district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf is a particular hotbed of social disadvantage. People who grow up here have little-to-no chance of upward social mobility. But that doesn’t stop them from fighting for their rightful places in society.

Pierre Hollberg has a budget of ten euros a day for groceries — to feed six people. His wife is living with severe disabilities. They share a four-room apartment just under 90 square meters large with their four children. The parents’ bed is in the living room, and there’s no space for a dining table. His mother-in-law, Evi, supports the large family any way she can. Every two weeks, she visits a charity food bank, which distributes groceries for free.

There are many reasons people may fall into poverty: illness, unemployment, and separation, included. Single mothers get hit particularly hard. Jessica is a mother of three from Hellersdorf with two vocational qualifications. But she spent many years unemployed after separating from their father. Recently, she's begun working full-time, but earns less than she when she received social benefits. She still believes it’s important to have a job so that she can be a good role model for her children. She'd like to spare them a life of financial precarity.

For the past thirty years, the charitable organization Die Arche - or 'The Ark', has been giving kids in Hellersdorf a chance. Their support for children and families is funded entirely by charitable donations. Pascal 'Kalle' Höhn used to be one of those children. After a difficult upbringing, violent outbursts as a teenager, and two and a half years spent in juvenile detention, he’s now training to become a welfare assistant. At The Ark, he wants to help young people avoid 'going down the wrong path' as he once did.

Poverty has many faces, and can affect anyone. It strips people of their dignity, robs adults of hope, and restricts opportunities for young people growing up. The risk of falling below the poverty line is on the rise — even in a wealthy country like Germany.

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