Walking in their shoes

It’s one thing to hear the statistics: that one in eight Haligonians are affected by poverty, or that 20 per cent of the population of Halifax is food insecure.

It’s another to understand what those stats mean for the lives of people on a day-to-day basis. That’s why United Way Halifax has developed a poverty simulation called “Living on the Edge” to allow people to experience for themselves some of these realities.

Students in their first year of Dalhousie’s Bachelor of Social Work program were the first group made entirely of students to experience this simulation, which is based off a similar American program. Many of the students used words like “stressful, scary, difficult and desperate” to describe how they felt after the hour-long exercise.

Becoming your character

Each participant picked up a name tag to start, assigning them a character. For example, one student played 36-year-old Kurtis Knowles-Kaminski during the simulation.

Like many characters in the simulation, Kurtis loses his job in the first week, turning everywhere he can think of but becoming more desperate by the minute without a paycheque. Then a man comes up to Kurtis, offering to give him part of the profits if he sells drugs. Without hesitation, and with his family’s survival in mind, Kurtis accepts and begins trying to find a buyer.

During the simulation another student also experienced how crime disproportionally affects low income families. “It was eye-opening to see the perspective of a parent,” said the student. “I got a note that my child had been apprehended but I was in line at social services. They said I had to go but in my mind I needed to stay to be a good parent so I could feed them when I get home.”

“It was intense, but life is intense so it was a very real view into what some people experience,” said another student. Many commented that they were struck by how quickly they turned to criminal behavior in desperate situations and it gave them a new perspective on how real that temptation must be when you need money for basic essentials.

Helping each other

The simulations interactions aren’t all discouraging. Several students turned to their neighbors for help or worked together to find creative solutions. Two families moved into one house to cut down on living expenses, and two elderly folks moved in together for the same reason, and to feel more secure than living alone.

 “I’m coming down off the anxiety,” said one male student after the simulation was over. “For someone who came from lower income it was definitely real. It really helped me see what it is like for people in more extreme situations [than what I have experienced].”

 “I was a 9-year-old child so I wasn’t experiencing as much of the anxiety but it did show me how much poverty effects children,” said another student. “The parents weren’t home, some children had ADHD and their parents couldn’t afford their medication.”

Afterwards a couple of the students sat down to talk about the experience in more detail.

 “I thought it was a useful exercise, especially for people who have no experience living in poverty,” said Kathleen Leeman. “Dealing with social services, dealing with the bank, dealing with shelters: for people that are in need it’s not always pleasant or an easy thing to do. I think it would be good for corporate organizations, instead of an expensive dinner they could do something like this and learn something really important.”

 “After having participated in the simulation I reflected upon my own position of privilege and gained a new perspective of the daily lived experiences and challenging realities of many individuals within our community,” said Stephanie Allan. “I experienced emotions of stress, confusion, desperation, and frustration during the simulation, in addition to guilt as the simulation ended and I returned to financial stability and family support. I will continue to apply a critically reflective lens to deconstruct the socio-political factors influencing socio-economic divisions throughout my social work career.”

United Way Halifax focuses on issues related to poverty and community health through their role as a funder, researcher, partner, convener and advocate.

Anyone looking to schedule a “Living on the Edge” simulation for their group or company can contact United Way Halifax.