Umthombo: Amanye Amagama
Ii-curls ezintle zika-Ada Mae zisendle kule mvakwemini enelanga, epholileyo yasebusika.
Ndisandula ukumlanda kwi-co-op yasekhaya encedisa izifundo zebanga lokuqala ebesizenza ekhaya, kwaye sihlala epakini. Eli lelona xesha ndilithandayo evekini, ndimbukele edlala nabanye abantwana.
Kodwa ndikhumbula nowam ubuntwana-ubusika obubandayo baseMissouri ngaphandle kweebhutsi, iminqwazi, okanye iimittens. Intlupheko yayinzima kusapho lwam, yaye loo ntlungu yandisukela ndade ndamdala.
Ndingenza nantoni na ukukhusela umntwana wam kweso siphelo, kodwa siye saba neminxeba yethu esondeleyo.
We were nearly homeless when the pandemic struck. Iโd tried to pull myself out of poverty so many times by then โ Iโd even just finished graduate school. But trying to enter the job market as COVID-19 shut down the economy proved difficult. There wasnโt going to be enough money for rent.
Fortunately, the COVID-19 relief programs Congress passed โ like the stimulus checks and those monthly Child Tax Credit payments โ helped me keep our apartment.
Ngolu ncedo, bendikwazi ukukhangela umsebenzi ngelixa ndifunda ekhaya intombi yam. Ndade ndakwazi ukubeka iidola ezimbalwa kwiakhawunti yokonga okokuqala ebomini bam, nto leyo eyaba sisiqabu esikhulu. Usapho lwam lwalungasindi nje - sasisendleleni eya empumelelweni.
Yiloo nto kanye umnatha wokhuseleko. Kodwa ngoku kuza kwenzeka ntoni?
Ityala liphelelwe nguDisemba odlulileyo ngenxa yokuba amaRiphabhlikhi, kunye noDemocrat uJoe Manchin, baye bamisa iinzame zokwandisa olu ncedo lwerhafu kwiintsapho ezisebenzayo. Izigidi zeentsapho ezifana nezam ziphose itshekhi yethu ngoJanuwari - kwaye asizukufumana enye ngaphandle kokuba zihlaziywe.
Ezo ziTyala zeRhafu zoMntwana zenyanga zivumela u-Ada Mae ukuba aye kwi-co-op yakhe ayithandayo yesikolo sasekhaya, oko kuyimfuneko kwintlalontle yakhe. Bandinika uzinzo lwemali olwandinceda ukuba ndibekho ngakumbi kunye naye, xa ndandingenaxhala lokuba ityala elilandelayo liya kuhlawulwa njani. Kwaye bandinika indawo yokujonga-kwaye ndifumane-umsebenzi ohlawula ngcono kwintsimi endiyifaneleyo ngoku.
Maninzi amabali afana nawethu. Isifundo saseColombia fu maneka ukuba iintlawulo zikaDisemba zizodwa zigcine abantwana abazizigidi ezi-3.7 bephuma kwintlupheko, nto leyo enciphisa izinga lentlupheko lomntwana ngenyanga malunga nama-30 ekhulwini.
Kodwa kwinyanga yokuqala ngaphandle kweentlawulo, iingcali zase-Columbia ziqinisekisa ukuba izinga lentlupheko lomntwana linokunyuka ukusuka kwi-12 yeepesenti ukuya kwi-17 yeepesenti - elona liphezulu lingaphezu konyaka.
Njengoko la manani ebonisa, abazali bebengachithi ezi ntlawulo kubunewunewu. Babezisebenzisela ukuphila ngokungakhathali.
A kwikota abazali basebenzise ikhredithi ekunyamekeleni abantwana ukuze babuyele emsebenzini. Isahlulo sesithathu sentlawulo saya kwiindleko zesikolo ezibalulekileyo. Kwaye ubuncinci 90 ekhulwini Iintsapho zazisebenzisa iikhredithi kwiimfuno zeentsapho zazo.
Mhlawumbi kakhulu, uphando olutsha lufumene loo mali iintlawulo kwiintsapho ezinemivuzo ephantsi ziphucula kakhulu ukukhula kwengqondo yomntwana kunye nokufunda kamva ebomini.
Olu luhlobo lwendlela yokuphila etshintsha ubomi babantwana. Ngoko kutheni sithatha itotshi ukuya kuyo? Kutheni le nto singabakhupha abantwana kwintlupheko size sibabethelele kuyo emva kweenyanga ezimbalwa?
Ukungaphumeleli ukuhlaziya iThredithi yeRhafu yoMntwana eyandisiweyo ayikona nje ukukhohlakala kunye nombono omfutshane - ayinangqiqo kwezoqoqosho. Ukuze uqoqosho lube ngcono, abasebenzi kunye neentsapho kufuneka zikwazi ukusinda ekunyukeni kwamaxabiso kunye nobunye ubunzima obunxulumene nobhubhane. IKhredithi yeRhafu yoMntwana eyandisiweyo yayisesona sixhobo sethu sibalaseleyo sokwenza oko.
Ngokuqinisekileyo yayiyeyam kunye nomhle wam, ozithembileyo uAda Mae
Bonke abantwana bethu bafanelwe elona thuba libalaseleyo ebomini, likhululekile kubuhlwempu obukhohlakeleyo. Ityala eliphuculweyo leRhafu yoMntwana lelona thuba lilungileyo. Masingayiphosi.
UClara Moore ngumphandi kunye nomama ohlala eNewark, eNew Jersey. Ubelana ngamava akhe kwintlupheko njengommeli we-RESULTS Educational Fund. Le op-ed yasasazwa yi-OtherWords.org.
I-ZNetwork ixhaswa ngemali kuphela ngesisa sabafundi bayo.
Nikela