Don't Do It

If i could say one thing to Tania Wysocki - it would be those three words.

Mum: Prostitution to pay for studies

A solo mum who wants to study so she can get off welfare says she has had to turn to prostitution to pay for childcare and transport to the course.

Tania Wysocki, a 38-year-old mother of two preschoolers at Paerata near Pukekohe, advertised herself on a website two weeks ago in a last-ditch effort to raise the money she needs for childcare when she starts a veterinary nursing course at Unitec in Mt Albert next week.

She wrote to Prime Minister John Key two days after Christmas saying she could see no other way to do the course, which she hopes will help her get off the domestic purposes benefit (DPB). Mr Key's office passed the letter on to Social Development Minister Paula Bennett, who has yet to respond.

I always think to myself how blessed i am. I am blessed because i landed myself in such a hideous situation here - in New Zealand - rather than in The States.

In American i would not have had free health care to help me get over the depression that drug abuse ravaged my brain with. I would not have received free doctors visits, medication, or counselling. I would not have been able to make the split second decision that i made to just turn off my "hooker phone"  and never look back - without the help of New Zealand's social services. I would not have had financial assistance with disappearing from my apartment in the middle of the night in order to get away from all the drug influences that i had turning up on my doorstep every five minutes.  I would not have had any income at all. I would not have been able to get away from that life, and i would have ended up dead or in prison.

Now thanks to this country and our government i have access to a student loan in order to get an education. I would not be commencing University study at all - if i was in America.

I am so grateful to New Zealand and our government for the help that i have received over the last two and a half years. I have not had a lot, i have struggled and will continue to do so - but the help that i have received has saved my life and i will always be grateful that i landed myself in such an awful predicament - here in New Zealand.

Because that has been my experience - part of me hates reading about people complaining about how much free money they get from the government. Another part of me empathises though, and realises that there are people out there doing it tougher than me.

All i have to say to Tania is that the cost of the emotional and psychological damage that she will do by making that choice will by far outweigh any hourly rate that she could possibly charge. I notice also, that there is no mention of the one thousand dollars that she is entitled to through Studylink for course related costs. That would help make up the shortfall. I wonder if she is aware of that entitlement?

To our Government i have to say - give this woman the extra that she needs to study and get off a benefit. She will end up costing you a heck of a lot more in the long run if you don't, and eventually so will her children - after they grow up watching their prostitute mum live on a benefit.

Spend more time kicking the abusers of the system off it - and more money helping people that don't want to be there in the first place.

That's my spiel done for the day!