"Every morning, tens of thousands of people cross the border to work in Luxembourg, drawn by some of the highest wages in Europe. Countless others have emigrated from all corners of the globe to a country where wealth is measured in record numbers. Poverty, on the other hand, is hidden in less visible statistics and in lives that don't fit the Grand Duchy's image of prosperity."
"A French national, she worked for over 15 years in almost everything: hospitality, a museum, a healthcare center... She explains that a bureaucratic issue is holding up her pension and that, while she tries to resolve it, she lives on 300 a month (around $355) and sleeps in a nursing home. The soup kitchen is a necessity for her."
"The 50 cents is symbolic. It's requested so users can appreciate the service, explains Bob Ritz, a spokesperson for the NGO. But if someone arrives without money, they'll still get a meal. There's also free laundry, a clothing bank with all kinds of donated garments, showers, a medical consultation, and a social worker."
Luxembourg attracts tens of thousands of cross-border workers and immigrants seeking high European wages, yet poverty remains concealed beneath the Grand Duchy's prosperity image. Vulnerable populations including elderly nationals, migrants, and refugees depend on NGO services like Stemm vun der Strooss soup kitchen. Madame Moufida, a 67-year-old French national, survives on €300 monthly while awaiting pension resolution. Jhoana Rojas, a Venezuelan lawyer working as a cleaner, manages tight finances with her construction worker husband. The soup kitchen charges symbolic 50-cent meals but provides free services including laundry, clothing, showers, medical consultations, and social work support. These services reveal the gap between Luxembourg's wealthy image and the reality facing economically disadvantaged residents.
Read at english.elpais.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]