KEY POINTS:
Alcohol has replaced paid work in the lives of many Otahuhu residents, says 17-year-old poet Andrew Riwhi-Harding.
Andrew's poem, Poverty Through Brown Eyes, features in a multimedia "photovoice" project which went live on the Children's Commissioner's website yesterday alongside a detailed plan to tackle child poverty.
Andrew has lived all his life in Otahuhu, where his father also grew up.
"When my Dad was young, there was a really big group of Maori that lived in Otahuhu because of the railway workshops," he said. "He was telling me that when he was 10 or 11 there were no Asian shops. We had a Stevens [an upmarket gift shop]. Now it's a $2 Shop."
The railway workshops, which employed 2300 workers at their peak, closed in 1992. Today, Andrew said, the town is dominated by liquor stores.
Andrew, who is deputy head boy at Otahuhu College, was part of a group of students from four local colleges who organised a march against poverty in the suburb last October.
Despite having to make do on low incomes, he said, the area's young people were determined to do better.
"Nothing stops our kids. A lot of my friends have gone through a lot of stuff and it hasn't fazed them. They still keep going."
Poverty Through Brown Eyes
These eyes of mine are in familiar places,
no life or depth just empty spaces.
I walk up the road to find cardboard boxes of alcohol substances.
No more needs to be lost here.
Four alcohol shops in the space of a 2km races
What's happening to this place?
No park or day care places.
The TAB next to the pub.
What's this frikin called... it's like a field day for the parents of P.I. children.
No bread, no butter, all the kids cry
"Maybe next Thursday bub," says the mum to the child.
Poverty through brown eyes
Ain't much of a smile.
- Andrew Riwhi-Harding
