A new form of poverty is emerging, with groups of single mothers and their children residing together in small flats, according to a new book.
You Will Always Have the Poor Among You, written by Mario Cardona and published by the Jesuit Centre for the Faith and Justice, attempts to “go behind the statistics” and provide a close-up view of the poor in Malta.
The book, released on Thursday and conceived by Fr Edgar Busuttil, the centre’s director, tries to answer the fundamental question: Who are the poor in Malta today? Its aim is to make the Maltese aware that poverty is a reality and that something has to be done about it.
It says poverty afflicts several thousands, not just Maltese but also foreigners: “We may not see beggars in the street yet. And if we are not active in certain agencies that offer particular services to the poor, we may still think they are a rare occurrence.”
Both the administrators of the social welfare system and the poor themselves could be blamed for poverty in Malta, according to a report in the book based on interviews with people who come into contact with the poor in two undisclosed localities.
A constant worry of the interviewees is that families with meagre resources do not manage them well enough. Families often had some sort of financial income but spent it according to criteria the service providers did not agree with.
Other common causes of poverty include sudden health conditions that require expensive medical care and falling victim to usury, the report says.
Usurers may sometimes be elderly women, who prey on the vulnerable living in their block, dragging them into a vicious circle. Gambling shops are often situated close to the church, where old women squander their pension cheques.
As regards children, the report says it is not easy to draw the line between sheer neglect and a real lack of finances to provide for them. But, in some cases, people active in the community have no doubt. In interviews with heads of school, for example, the book mentions children attending in poor hygienic conditions and poorly dressed, wearing a thin T-shirt in the cold winter months. It relates stories of children exploited in under-age employment, who start working at 13, usually illegally, for long hours and a miserable pay. Often, they work to be able to enjoy themselves with their friends.
The need to analyse how the capitalist economic system is leading to greater gaps between rich and poor at all levels is also stressed in the report.
Advance copies of the book were presented to members of Parliament and social NGOs last May.