What does it mean to live in poverty in a prosperous country like Austria? Bianca K. knows. The single mother tells.
The disease hit Bianca K. (name changed) unexpectedly and with full force. The Styrian was suddenly no longer able to do her 40-hour job. “It was terrible, because I wanted to work, but was declared incapacitated for work,” says the woman. She only came out of the black hole into which she fell by a miracle, as she says.
Daughter saved her from black hole
As a “miracle” she describes her 5-year-old daughter Lena, who was born despite Bianca K. being told she couldn’t get pregnant. Her birth was all the more beautiful. “Lena saved me.” But even as a couple, their daily life is not marked by a few worries. “When Lena comes home from kindergarten, she talks about the experiences of the others. It’s bad for me because I can’t offer her that kind of thing.”
Her daughter can’t say anything about a ski trip or a holiday by the sea. No money for sports equipment let alone a hotel. make reserves? “I don’t receive alimony. What should I put away if I can’t afford a weekly purchase of 40 euros?” Shortly before she asked a social worker for help, the Styrian still had 30 cents in her account “And it was the 14th day of the month.”
“Asking for help was necessary but difficult”
“You don’t want to admit it’s really that bad.” You have tried everything, calculated, planned, considered. “In the end, my organization didn’t help, there was nothing.” Asking for help was therefore necessary, but difficult. “The social worker explained to me where I could get free groceries, that took a load off my shoulders.”
Sometimes Bianca cooks pasta with fresh tomato sauce when vegetables are on the counter. With the leftover sugo she conjures up a casserole the next day. “It’s my invention,” laughs the 37-year-old. “This way I can recycle food and combine it in new ways, so that there is at least some variety on the plate.”
Really vitamin-rich cooking for her daughter is almost impossible – even if she holds back. “Of course I first make sure that the little one has had enough.” Today she got mini sausages and strawberry yogurt for Lena with a Caritas voucher. “Your favorite food. I can’t buy it otherwise.”
1180 euros should be enough for 30 days
Also the Styrian burden of the rent increase. “I pay 650 euros in rent and 87 euros in electricity.” It should be enough. For 30 days, in which she provides food and pays bills. It is clear that there is nothing left. Apart from the money problems, her emotional world is also turned upside down.
On the playground she sits far away from all the other mothers. Not because she’s particularly anxious, but so she doesn’t have to engage in a conversation where the subject could potentially come up at work. She is so afraid of the question of what her job is that she voluntarily separates. To avoid that one answer: “I don’t have a job.” What that phrase might evoke in the working moms on the playground as they proudly talk about their jobs puts Bianca in a difficult position. “I feel so ashamed.
What would these women think of me if they knew I couldn’t work,” she says, bowing her head. She barely manages to be positive. Always this effort to fight every day again. The 37-year-old compensates with warmth of heart for what Lena cannot do due to financial constraints. “I just want her to be happy.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
