"Poverty has a system": Sirkka Jendis, Managing Director of the Tafel, reveals the total failure of the welfare state and calls for a new way of dealing with people affected by poverty.
More and more people in Germany are affected by poverty - this is shown not only by current poverty reports but also by the incredible rush to volunteer aid organisations such as the Tafel in Germany, which provides over two million people with rescued food at over 950 locations every year. With 60,000 helpers, the food banks are one of the largest socio-ecological movements in Germany. But the need of the people is now so great that the volunteers are reaching their limits. Sirkka Jendis, Managing Director of the Tafel umbrella organisation, asks: How can it be that in one of the richest countries in the world, a non-governmental organisation has to shoulder the basic needs of many citizens when this is the responsibility of the state? Her answer is clear and disturbing: Germany has a huge problem in social policy, in dealing with people affected by poverty and in the question of social justice. In her book, Jendis vividly describes what poverty feels like and what it means for everyday life. She then analyses the various forms of social injustice and formulates concrete demands for politicians. The result is an impressive plea for a new approach to poverty and a radical rethink of social justice.
"We need a real turning point in social policy. We need to move away from the idea that poverty is the fault of the individual and can be overcome through hard work and performance." Sirkka Jendis
