A Little Bit About My Job

I love my job. My overarching goal each day is to make someone's life a little more happier or a little more manageable. I couldn't imagine a better job description and I feel incredibly lucky to have this opportunity.

My job focusses around counselling, social work and 'behaviour management'. As a result, I see the harsh realities of poverty, abuse and mental health issue on a daily basis. Despite this town providing me with a very Good Life, many kids in this town are not so lucky. There are a number of students at our school who have had a really tough life. The same old story of intergenerational poverty and social disenfranchisement.

Whilst living overseas it was tempting to idealise New Zealand and pretend that the abuse and violence featured so much in the UK media didn't exist in my homeland. Having spent my university years studying criminology, in theory I knew that this wasn't the case, but I hadn't experienced a 'real' view of what life is like for far too many kiwi kids. In our social circles of university educated, socially privileged people, it's easy to pretend that a safe life in a supportive family is the reality for everyone. It's not.

There are far too many kiwi kids growing up in homes full of violence with no real concept of a life without it. I grew up 'knowing' I could achieve anything I wanted to. Too many of the children I meet with every day don't have this same confidence. I know I wouldn't, had I been born into their lives. So many of these kids need someone to believe in them, someone to give them a dream and to show them that they can step out of the life they were born in to.

Not a day goes by that I do not appreciate the life that I had the lucky chance to be born into. So many of my university and work friends are similarly educated and privileged. To all you similarly lucky New Zealanders out their reading this I implore you to consider this next generation of kids coming through who were not as lucky as you. If you are not concerned about what life is going to be like for these kids when they grow up, get real and read about intergenerational violence, poverty and crime. These are 2020's welfare recipients and prison inmates funded by your taxes. If you are concerned, don't sit back to complain because every one of you can make a difference. New Zealand has some fantastic mentoring programmes and I guarantee it will be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. If you can't give your body, at least give some cash! ; )

NB: There are heaps of great youth programmes out there, really successful and crying out for cash. Project K is just one I have had a bit to do with. Voters yell at politicians to spend money on the results of crime (read: more prisons) than preventing it. I know you guys are wiser.