While we’re enjoying Christmas dinner...
Relatively few of us experience being so poor that we cannot buy food. This Christmas, the majority of us will no doubt have more than we can manage as part of our family celebrations. Imagine trying to manage all your monthly expenses, not just your food, on as little as £15 a month. This is the approximate amount of government benefit a mum and baby are entitled to when living in a rural area in Russia. Here, an extravagant Christmas meal is not an option. With nappies and food costing around the same as in the UK, having income from a job is essential, not optional. However, regular work doesn’t always mean having enough to survive - far from it…
The minimum wage in the UK currently stands at £1170 a month for a 37.5hr week. Compare this to the minimum wage in Russia of £93 a month (£21.50 a week) - just 8% of a UK income - it is no wonder that orphanage leavers and orphan mums struggle to feed themselves!
During visits, Love Russia leaves emergency funding with Mentors to provide bags full of shopping when young people we seek to help find they are unable to manage.
A ‘Bag of Groceries’ gift at £15 will provide one week's shopping for a young person; perhaps an orphanage leaver living in a Transition Home or a young orphan mum as she tries to provide for her baby.
To see all our Alternative Christmas Gifts CLICK HERE >