The slum survivor
3rd August 2008
Whilst Gordon Brown and David Cameron are now getting out their bucket and spade this summer, I had the opportunity a couple of weeks ago for a 24 hr break from Parliament. It was not a holiday but rather a time to simulate the life of a slum dweller, of which there are nearly a billion worldwide.
It was one of the more unusual experiences of my time as an MP which was organised by Tear Fund, a Christian based development aid charity and a youth charity Soul Action.
By stripping a cross party group of MPs of their mobile phones and making us construct a wooden shack and carry out tasks like walking 4 miles for water, we were able to sample in a small way what 1 in 6 of the worlds population experience for a lifetime.
It was inevitably an inadequate simulation since we had access to clean water and basic sanitation which is not available in slums in countries like Uganda and Bangladesh.
After coming out of our 'slum' we had the opportunity to raise the issues of slum dwellers in Parliament. The aim is though to take the experience into schools. I am encouraging our local schools and youth groups to take part in 'slum survivor'. Contact www.slumsurvivor.org if you are interested.
At a time when the rising price of fuel and food and the credit crunch is causing financial hardship it is tempting to say 'charity begins at home'.
However when slum dwellers daily live a hand to mouth existence with their shelter in danger of being wiped away by hurricanes, the G8 countries could do more to ensure the basic living conditions we take for granted are provided.
Parliament's recess provides a good opportunity for me to hold a number of public meetings and do mobile surgeries and street stalls next month.
For example on September 15th 7.30pm at Burford Hall, Fox Lane, Palmers Green there is a meeting about the Heathrow airport expansion, which is relevant to us not just in terms of its local enviromental impact but also the wider affect on climate change.
This brings us back to the slum dwellers who will greatly increase in number unless politicians get out of our insular 'bubbles' and see the impact of policies on the poor and vulnerable in our global community.
