CHILDREN OF EUROPE

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25923, 1 October 1949, Page 2

CHILDREN OF EUROPE

MORE SPONSORS NEEDED “Tourists returning to New Zealand from abroad tell us that there are plenty of things to be bought in the shops overseas,” the chairman of the Save the Children Fund (Miss M. G. Havelaar) said at a meeting of the fund yesterday afternoon. “But when you live in that country you may see the goods displayed in the window’s, and have perhaps only a pension to buy them with,” she added. Referring to a report she had received from Greece, Miss Havelaar said that the average income of an ordinary Government employee was (about £3 a week, which, considering I Greek prices, would not buy very much. She said that with sugar at 2s a pound, rice at 8s 9d a pound, meat (when it could be obtained) at more than 5s a pound, and butter at more than 10s a pound, it meant that the Greeks would have to so without sucn things almost entirely. Miss Havelaar said that the Greeks had very modest requirements. The essential foods for them were bread, vegetables, fruit, and olive oil. With those they could manage, but a minimum qf oil was necessary for the maintenance of health, and the price of that was at a level where the Greeks could illaffo”d it. “There are still 25 more children waiting to be sponsored,” Miss Havelaar continued. “They are all distressing cases. Some of the children have no parents, and are living with oersons who are completely destitute. The children are. ill through malnutrition. and the parents of the children who are living are all suffering from tuberculosis.” The sanatoriums are full to overflowing. Miss Havelaar appealed to the meeting for Christmas parcels to be sent to the children who were not sponsored yet. “It would make them think that someone was thinking about them at that time.” she added. .“I am glad to be able to tell you that during the month 21 children have been sponsored by schools in Christchurch, and that 15 schools have renewed their sponsorships.” M ; ss Havelaar said. She thanked the Jewish community for its generosity in sponsoring eifffit Jewish children recently. said that four more Jewish children were still in need of sponsors.