This contribution to the list is out of the ordinary but still I feel
compelled to share a personal experience that brings the issue of child
poverty to a painful reality.

While walking my 10 year old son to school this morning with our dog I
happened to encounter two small boys. Both appeared to be about 4 or 5
years old - they looked as though they could be twins. Their clothing was
thin and dirty and the shoes on their feet were almost in pieces from wear
and they were shivering in the 0'c temperatures this morning. The both had
little backpacks that were hanging open apparently empty of all the usual
things we expect to find in our kids bags like lunches, snacks and books.

Obviously, from their bewildered expression - the boys were lost. When I
asked where they were going one of the boys related this story to me. They
were attending a new school ( the same one as my son) because they were
living for a month with a 'friend'. Yesterday they got lost and were late
for school. Their Mom stays in bed because she can't get a job. One boy
said " The only job my mom has is to get us off to school and today the
alarm clock didn't go off." The second boy added bits and pieces to this
dialogue but was difficult to understand as he had a very definite speech
problem.

Half way to school the quieter boy tripped over his broken shoes and began
crying, right away the other boy assisted him to his feet and they
continued to walk on.

This is hardly my first experience with poverty first hand! However,
something about this experience has really given me a jolt today and I wish
that I could articulate the way it has made me feel. As a human being this
is devastating and I doubt that I will think of much else today. As a
Health Promoter it should stir me up but today it just makes me feel
hopeless, especially in view of the headlines in the Toronto Star today *
RICH GET RICHER AS WAGE GAP WIDENS*  *TOP TEN PERCENT MAKE 314 TIMES MORE
THAN THE POOREST*  As a MSc. in HP grad I am too familiar with the effects
of the health/wealth divide.

I am usually a more optimistic person. Maybe someone can offer some
insightful thoughts that will help all of this to make sense.
Maybe you will all want me off the list for making such a dismal
contribution!

Colleen Nisbet

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