A Youth Lens on Poverty in Winnipeg
Sixteen youth from North and West End Winnipeg were given an important assignment: tell the stories of their neighbourhoods to the rest of Winnipeg for this year’s State of the Inner City Report. The CCPA’s Manitoba office worked with two youth-serving organizations on this photovoice research project. Photovoice is a research approach whereby the subjects of the research become the researchers. The youth received photography training and wrote accompanying narratives to the images. Over seven weekly meetings, the youth engaged in discussions about what makes their neighbourhoods good places and what they want to change.
The youth researcher’s findings add urgency to the long-standing injustice of poverty. Manitoba has the second-highest rate of child poverty in Canada, after British Columbia. The situation is worse for Aboriginal youth, as one in two in Manitoba live in poverty. The report also includes a comprehensive literature review on issues of poverty and youth, with a focus on education, safety, and housing. The report finds that although poverty persists, there are promising practices: community-based organizations using holistic approaches to support youth to develop a strong identity and healthy community; and that a focus on Indigenous cultural teachings is essential when working with Aboriginal youth.
Explore the photos and narratives of the youth researchers in this video.
