We have some mega rich people in Aotearoa New Zealand, and a heap of folks who depend on food banks and the like to scrape out a hard existence.

The mean [average] estimated net worth of the families in the Project population for 2021 is $276 million and the median is $106 million.

Shocking new IRD data [about] the wealthiest New Zealanders

So some of the wealthy want changes to tax laws, but the government doesn’t seem inclined to really make our society more equal.

the open letter from 96 high-income New Zealanders calling for higher tax rates on the wealthy.

Policy purge propels Robertson to $4b saving | The Spinoff

I think it’s up to the government to make real social change, but here’s my utopian idea for one strategy rich folks could implement.

Sponsor a school

Make low-decile (ie poor) schools the hub of a community. Adopt a school. Pay for free healthy breakfasts, lunches and snacks for all kids at the school. Create a free ‘health clinic’ for the school where all kids get regular health checks, eye tests, hearing tests, dental treatment, with free glasses, hearing aids, treatment. Pay for books and uniforms and computers and field trips etc.

How much would that cost? No idea. But if you have a billion dollars or even multi millions of dollars I reckon you could afford to sponsor a school.

Would that be unfair to other kids not at that school? Sure, but when has helping one person ever meant you have to help every person on the planet?