When there is barely enough money to live on
A sunny afternoon in a small village on Lake Constance. Joel*, 7, and Ella*, 4, are sitting at the kitchen table of the small co-operative flat eating apple slices. It's snack time. Ella climbs onto her mum's lap and whispers something in her ear. «Yes, we can go to the playground later,» says Lisa Schnellmann* and smiles.
On the sideboard are the groceries: rice, pasta, apples, broccoli, toilet paper. The packaging is emblazoned with the labels of cheap German supermarket discounters. Capital letters in bright colours. Once a week, the 31-year-old drives across the border to do her shopping, carrying brochures with special offers in her bag. Only special offers end up in her shopping trolley. Does she also go to the hairdresser on one of these shopping trips? «No, I can't afford it,» says Lisa Schnellmann, stroking her hair in embarrassment.
"According to figures from the Federal Statistical Office, Lisa Schnellmann is one of 675,000 people in Switzerland living below the poverty line. In concrete terms, this means that after deducting rent and health insurance, the single parent has around CHF 1,700 a month to live on for herself and her children. That's 55 francs a day.
«I only buy new children's shoes»
Too little to buy new things. Lisa Schnellmann buys clothes and toys second-hand. Sometimes she also gets things she has sorted out as gifts from other families. «I only buy new children's shoes,» emphasises Joel and Ella's mother, tying the laces for the little ones. A worn-out footbed is bad for the development of the feet.
At the weekend, the family usually goes to the playground or for a walk. That costs nothing. Mini golf, an ice cream at the swimming pool, the funfair: Ella and Joel only experience things that are part of the normal weekly leisure programme for other children in exceptional cases. Lisa saves money wherever she can. And yet she knows that there are things she can't and doesn't want to deprive her children of. For her 30th birthday, Lisa Schnellmann asks her friends for three tickets to the zoo. Joel and Ella should be among them. «But if Joel is invited to a children's birthday party three times a month, that's hard for me.» So that he can be there, his mum saves on food for the rest of the month.
Ella is still too young to understand that she lives differently to her friends. Joel doesn't. When he tells her where the others went on holiday at the end of the summer holidays, Lisa Schnellmann can hardly bear it. «You just have to save money, Mummy!» Lisa has never travelled with her children.
«We used to be fine,» remembers Lisa Schnellmann.
In summer 2018, Lisa Schnellmann separated from the father of her children. Her ex-partner pays maintenance for Joel and Ella and his new flat. His income is not enough for the apartment they used to share. Lisa is on sick leave. She is unable to work due to severe food allergies. The young woman is suffering from the consequences of a life-threatening allergic shock. It usually takes several reasons to slip into poverty.
Accusations at the social welfare office
Mother and children live off their savings for a while. The money is quickly used up. At the beginning of 2019, Lisa Schnellmann applies for social welfare. At the social welfare office, she is accused of being to blame for her situation, says Lisa Schnellmann. The employee asked Joel whether it was really necessary for mum and dad to separate.
The village on Lake Constance is small, the social pressure is great. News travels fast.
«I'd also like to lie in the pool when others are working,» she hears one neighbour say to another one morning. «No wonder the shops have to close here if everyone only shops in Germany,» she replies. Lisa is ashamed, even though she knows better. «But I want others to realise that I'm not just lazy. It can happen to anyone,» she says firmly.
The oppressive feeling of opening the letterbox
For example, the Keller family from eastern Switzerland. Andrea Keller is not officially classed as poor. However, as she is restricted in her job due to the multiple disabilities of her daughter Mia, 13, and her ex-husband only pays her alimony in part, she lives in very tight financial circumstances. «We can't afford trips, holidays or dental treatment,» says Andrea. Sometimes the single parent receives money from her mother. «I'm very grateful for that,» she says - and she talks about the oppressive feeling that comes over her when she opens the letterbox. «There might be a bill in there and sometimes I don't know how I'm going to pay it.»
«The existential fears caused by financial worries clearly affect the psyche,» Melanie Huber is certain. She lives with her partner Thomas and their children Malea, 13, Nick, 9, and Gil, 5, in a patchwork family in the canton of St. Gallen. Despite working full-time, Thomas' salary is not enough. Like him, Melanie always has depressive phases in which she ponders what to do next.
The well-being of the children is our top priority.
If there isn't enough food for everyone, Melanie goes to bed hungry. The children's well-being is her top priority. «I try to instil the right values in the children and tell them that money isn't everything.» Nevertheless, it pains her not to be able to fulfil even the smallest wish for her children.
Melanie would also like others to be more understanding of her situation: «We're not lazy just because we're supported by social services,» she says.
Poverty has many facets. If there is no money for a restaurant, a museum or a trip to the circus, poverty can lead to social isolation. The children affected are also marginalised when a family cannot afford everyday things such as a child's birthday party or a school trip. To protect their children, many parents hide their precarious financial situation because poverty is still associated with failure in our society.
Many do not seek help out of shame
«In order not to penalise children from poor financial backgrounds, the costs for school trips, lunch or afternoon care can be reduced or waived by the headteacher's office or social welfare office upon request,» says Urs Landolt, headteacher of Zug's municipal schools. The problem: many parents are ashamed and do not apply for support.
In order to still be able to participate in social life and offer their children a normal life, many of those affected try to conceal their financial misery with small loans or leasing purchases, which in the long run only leads to poverty. This is because an already tight family budget cannot cope with the sometimes horrendous interest rates demanded by lenders. Those affected fall into a downward spiral that often ends at the debt enforcement office.
«To avoid being left behind socially, they spend the money instead of saving it for taxes or other obligations.»
André Widmer, head of the Zug debt counselling centre Triangel.
Breaking this vicious circle is difficult, says André Widmer, head of the Zug debt counselling centre Triangel. «People are ashamed and embarrassed that they have no money. To avoid being left behind socially, they spend the money instead of putting it aside for taxes or other obligations. At some point, they can no longer pay all their bills and end up in debt.»
The debt counselling centre or the social welfare office are often only consulted late for fear of being ostracised, when the level of suffering is high and the path out of debt is difficult. André Widmer advises those affected by financial difficulties to contact their creditors as early as possible in order to find a solution with them, or to seek help from a debt counselling centre.
Poverty is a social challenge
Poverty is not a marginalised phenomenon, but a serious social challenge. «Many of those affected would like to see more understanding for their situation. They do their best every day to give their children a good life in the midst of society,» says sociology professor Franz Schultheis.
Lisa Schnellmann decided to speak openly with those around her about her financial difficulties and accept help. She says she has been better since then. Nevertheless, there are still people in the village who accuse her of being lazy. They say she is living at the expense of her ex-partner and the state. «That hurts,» says Lisa Schnellmann. Her goal is to get completely healthy and soon be able to work part-time in the office again. «I want financial independence because I've always earned my own money and have never had to ask anyone for support before.»
* All names have been changed and are known to the editors.
About the author:
Who is affected by poverty in Switzerland?
Parents with two children who have less than CHF 3,990 per month at their disposal after deducting health insurance premiums live below the poverty line as defined by the Federal Statistical Office and are entitled to social assistance. According to the Swiss Conference for Social Assistance, over 270,000 people receive social benefits. A supported family has to get by on around CHF 18 per person per day for food, clothing, personal hygiene, mobility, communication, entertainment and education. Families with an income that covers the minimum subsistence level but is significantly below the usual income level are considered to be at risk of poverty - according to current statistics, this includes around 570,000 people in Switzerland.
Some aid organisations support families affected by poverty. Caritas Switzerland , for example, launched the «With me» project a few years ago: volunteer mentors spend time with children from difficult family situations once or twice a month, allowing the children to spend their free time creatively and relieving the burden on their parents.
Holiday camp for children from economically difficult backgrounds!
In collaboration with the Pestalozzi Children's Foundation, the Elternsein Foundation is organising a holiday camp for children in Trogen in beautiful Appenzell during the 2020 summer holidays. The camp is aimed at children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who have difficulty spending holidays outside their own four walls.
The Pestalozzi Children's Foundation puts together a unique programme: Games, arts and crafts, sports, hikes, campfires, programming/robot building, music, dance, theatre workshops, cooking together, producing radio programmes. There is a special highlight for football fans: a joint training session with FC St. Gallen.
With our programme, we would like to give children affected by poverty a few carefree days of holiday, promote the integration of socially disadvantaged children and help them to exchange ideas and make friends. Detailed information on the programme and conditions of participation will follow in our March issue.
A campaign by the Stiftung Elternsein foundation
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