Once poor, always poor? | DW Documentary

From the creator

One in four of Berlin’s children lives in poverty. The district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf is a particular hotbed of social disadvantage. People who grow up here have little-to-no chance of upward social mobility. But that doesn’t stop them from fighting for their rightful places in society. Pierre Hollberg has a budget of ten euros a day for groceries — to feed six people. His wife is living with severe disabilities. They share a four-room apartment just under 90 square meters large with their four children. The parents’ bed is in the living room, and there’s no space for a dining table. His mother-in-law, Evi, supports the large family any way she can. Every two weeks, she visits a charity food bank, which distributes groceries for free. There are many reasons people may fall into poverty: illness, unemployment, and separation, included. Single mothers get hit particularly hard. Jessica is a mother of three from Hellersdorf with two vocational qualifications. But she spent many years unemployed after separating from their father. Recently, she's begun working full-time, but earns less than she when she received social benefits. She still believes it’s important to have a job so that she can be a good role model for her children. She'd like to spare them a life of financial precarity. For the past thirty years, the charitable organization Die Arche - or 'The Ark', has been giving kids in Hellersdorf a chance. Their support for children and families is funded entirely by char

Published 2025-06-10 · Watch on YouTube ↗
Availability and playback restrictions are controlled by the original channel.