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Introduction

Comparative Essay Children in poverty in Brazil and the UK In this essay I am going to compare children in poverty in Brazil and the UK. I have chosen these two countries as they are facing the same problem, but are very different countries. I am going to focus on basic needs, government solutions; social exclusion and other factors then compare them in both countries. Poverty is more than just not having money. It is like a disease, a trap, a situation people want to escape, in order to have enough to eat, adequate shelter, love, clothes and basic needs which an individual must have in order to survive day to day life. Child poverty is a major issue. Poverty can have a deep impact on a child, creating problems in education, employment, mental and physical health and social interaction. I have studied and looked at two countries which both have very high levels of poverty and inequality. ...read more.

Middle

This is one of the highest rates in the industrialised world. Given the wealth of our nation, this is a very shocking figure. There is a lot of social exclusion, from recreational activities, hobbies, holidays, peers etc. Compared to other people in the country, many families cannot support themselves with medicine. The UK is becoming more polarised as there are more rich people and more poor people. It's quite unfair because people who live in poverty do less well in education, the resources are taken for granted, and this puts pressure on the economy as a lack of education can lead to unemployment. In both countries, crime has been a major issue. In Brazil many children who are brought up in favelas have become a part of the gang warfare, therefore many children who have no education will continue violent crimes. Similarly in the UK, many young teenagers are committed to crimes due to the bad housing and area's which they live in. ...read more.

Conclusion

Even more parents will not be able to provide for their children if this situation gets worse. In Brazil children are being brought up into child labour, working long hours with very little wages. The exploitation of labour has no hope of decreasing child poverty. However, top-down support such as "Fome Zero" is a government programme to tackle poverty and hunger, as well as bottom up for example the charities such as 'the Posse' are pulling kids off the streets. The government wants to devolve power to local governments, which in theory is good, however in practice a lack of resources and co-operation means it is often ineffective. Economic growth is necessary for reducing inequality in Brazil. It will increase in educational achievement which leads to fewer sick people; therefore there will be an increase in employment. I believe that the government should put more time into thinking how do help these children. The Brazilian government should concentrate more on improving the situation, getting more children to attend school. Whereas the British government needs to improve but also keep it stable. ?? ?? ?? ?? Maja Prodanovic ...read more.

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