“Arche” founder Bernd Siggelkow is sounding the alarm due to the constantly rising prices for food, energy and fuel. He warns that children in Germany will soon have to starve and gives a concrete example.
Bernd Siggelkow, founder of the Christian aid organization “Die Arche”, has complained about increasing child poverty in Germany. The number of poor children in Germany has tripled since 1995, he explained in an interview with the magazine “Publik-Forum” (Friday). “Meanwhile, every fifth child in Germany grows up in poverty.” His gloomy prognosis based on the current situation: “Soon children will have to go hungry in Germany.”
The situation is exacerbated by Corona and growing inflation. On the one hand, there are “children who have been left behind by Corona, who can no longer keep up at school because they were not taught properly in home schooling, they lacked digital devices,” says Siggelkow.
Already on Thursday, “Die Arche” had asked the federal government to provide quick help for poor families. It must be ensured that their children can “enjoy the holidays carefree and eat healthily,” said Siggelkow in a video message.
The “catastrophic price increases” for groceries and running costs for their apartments are already a burden on middle-class families, and poor families sometimes even have empty shopping carts. The “Arche” would also be hit “with a full broadside” by the cost increases, emphasized the pastor.
With a sample calculation, Siggelkow explains the drama of the situation to “Bild”. “If the pack of pasta now costs 1.30 euros instead of 69 cents, parents will sometimes reach for the bag of crisps to keep the children quiet.” In the lockdown, he saw children because of a lack of exercise and proper nutrition have gained up to 35 kilos. “If the school meals are now twice as expensive, the low-earning parents of three children can certainly no longer afford it.”
“Die Arche” has therefore been demanding basic child security of 600 euros a month since 2020, explained Siggelkow in the “Publik-Forum” interview. Half of it should flow into the families and the other half directly into education, “so that the money also reaches the children and is not used to plug other holes in the household budget.” The traffic light coalition has adopted this idea in its coalition agreement, but has not yet given a concrete amount, adds the Arche founder.
A tax exemption for healthy food could also be a solution for Siggelkow. Another idea: “There should also be a healthy, free breakfast for the children in schools so that they can concentrate in class.” If this does not happen, many low-income earners are threatened with the debt trap. “And the ones who suffer, as always, are the children.”
Founded in 1995, the Christian children’s and youth organization “Die Arche” claims to have 28 locations in Germany and reaches more than 4,500 children and young people every day. 300 permanent employees and around 300 volunteers work in the “Archen”. Among other things, they organize free camps and excursions for children from needy families during the summer holidays.
