the First of your Friends to the latest Barbie doll dreamed of, then from the first own Smartphone, and finally, a good study of the velvet apartment, and stay abroad. Sarah-Lee Heinrich had in the past few years, especially a dream: she wanted to be the "small unemployed".

Exactly the fate of the now 19-Year-old seemed to be. Sarah-Lee's mother is a Hartz IV recipient, and a single parent – so, so to speak, in the medium and chance. This got the young woman from the Ruhr area to feel. Not only in the school. "Hartz IV'ler are of their poverty their own fault, and social parasites": Sarah-Lee is aware of the comments and prejudices, all that is commonly associated with Hartz-IV-families. Again and again you get to hear and feel. "It was daunting," she says. But the young woman did not want to accept their fate.

More than 1.5 million children (up to 14 years of age) in Germany living in families with Hartz IV are related. Of 100 children who have never lived in poverty, and to create statistically 36 the jump to high school. Of 100 children with experience of Poverty, only 12. It's a vicious circle has been broken – the Sarah-Lee. Because she passed her Abitur at a secondary school with the final grade of 1.2, one can study the young woman now. "Prospects" in FOCUS Online

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But for Sarah-Lee was the social climb hard and needed "luck". "I got in school and Learning clear. Therefore, it is not noticed that I could not get so much support from home. I used to be the nerd,“ she says with a laugh. Sarah-Lee believes it is a myth that any person can achieve through hard work, regardless of its current prosperity in the future, a higher standard of living.

For the 19-Year-old is clear that she has it Packed, because their teachers believed in them. "You saw potential in, and with your help, I'm even in a student scholarship slipped," she says. In your eyes it could create a lot more are the children of Hartz-IV-families at a high school, even if they had sponsors. "It is to me that all the children should have a high school diploma. But, rather, that children in poverty-to decide what you want to do with your life.“

A self-runner school time for Sarah-Lee was not the same. Poverty is always a violent experience for children and young people, the now 19-Year-old. Constant need of money leads to exclusion. This experience has made.

• surf tip: boards tightly, in addition to jobs, Hartz IV prohibited: recipients are experiencing severe times

Social differences between themselves and other children their age, they noticed for the first Time in the fifth class at the Gymnasium. There are very many classmates were from wealthy families to the school and spoke disparagingly about "how cheap it is, if you are buying at C&A's clothes," she says. "After that, I've hidden the labels in my clothes. Because I was the child who could not afford an expensive brand of clothes.“

That your classmates have talked so disparagingly about people who have hardly any money, has Sarah-Lee today. "I was afraid that they find out that I also grew up in poor circumstances." That she and her mother had little money, she tried to keep secret for a long time.

But in the meantime, she's different with your social Background. It is not only activist, but also of the Federal Board of the Green youth engaged and currently studying politics, sociology and philosophy in Bonn in the second Semester. In the past year, Sarah-Lee moved out with her mother and now lives in a shared apartment in Cologne with 23 roommates.

Also, if you are informed by your scholarship to the Bafög maximum rate, whereby you can live in your WG in Köln "good", as she says, it would not have worked with the extract almost. For many apartments, the landlords want to see in the case of students a guarantee of the parents. But the could not give her mother, because she lives from Hartz IV. In addition, they had no Savings or return. An initial setup to buy or pay the Deposit? As good as impossible.

the Background is that Hartz-IV-children who live with their parents in a community of need, may keep from a in addition to earning just 100 euros a month. Of every Euro you have, more will be deducted 80 cents. "If I have earned 450 euros, it would have taken away my mother's money. How was I supposed to explain to my mother? Mama I want to starve a new phone, you need to now a month,“ said Sarah-Lee. The additional income rules for children of parents with Hartz IV make you angry.

The 19-Year-old has earned during their time at school exactly 100 euros, of which the state taps a dime, in the homework of their school. Could save you from the money. Sarah-Lee says: "All questions relating to have the social part, the current rule sets the basic security." With the 100 Euro a month to Fund what is, for many other children in Germany, of course: theatre and Museum visits and the dance club. "There were no dance clubs for 10 to 15 Euro in the month, as the education and participation package is estimated to be." That parents give a time of 10 Euro to a Pizza with friends go out to eat, that's not been inside your home is easy. "The 100 euros were totally important to me, but I have compensated for so that only what is missing."

it worked for Sarah-Lee still with the own four walls thanks to her godmother to. She wanted to raise the driver's license. "This I have not made, and the money invested, instead, in my apartment," says Sarah-Lee of her decision. Nevertheless, everything was sewn extremely on edge. The excerpt would have cost only 200 euros more, it would burst the dream. "Because until the point, where I'm from at home moved away, I was allowed to make more than 100 Euro, without my mother is somewhat withdrawn." How to you escape out of the spiral of Poverty?

This experience, it shapes up today. That children have to work in order to have a happy Childhood, not in their eyes: "children should not have to work themselves out of poverty." Therefore, it demands, that Germany is introducing a children's basic security.

• you can read more on the topic of: PUSH - Corona-crisis aggravated social division - a 300-Euro Bonus are "drops on a hot stone" – it takes now a children's income?

The idea behind: All children, irrespective of their parents ' income guarantee amount per month. The Greens call for about 280 euros per month. This basic amount can be increased by a variable amount and that is when the families have very little money. The lower the income, the higher is the variable amount. This money should be different as the children are not in the Hartz-IV-set of the parents credited. In addition, it would be entitled legally to the children and not the parents.

For Sarah-Lee is clear: children from socially disadvantaged families need to be better promoted, otherwise the most fail of them. In Germany, every fifth child lives in poverty. For you you want to fight now, and calls for the same zeal, also, of the German policy. The world is better than your bad news - FOCUS Online provides you every Friday with the best stories from the field perspectives. Subscribe here for free Newsletter:

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