Kids who care

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 3 January 2023

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Oritsé Williams became a young carer aged 12, when his mother contracted multiple sclerosis and he had to take responsibility for looking after her and two younger siblings. During his teenage years, he had a dream: to become a singer and make plenty of money so that he could fund research to find a cure for his mum. At least part of that dream came true when Oritsé and his band, JLS, were runners-up in a national talent contest. But Oritsé never forgot his early years as a young, unpaid carer. He meets the next generation of kids who care – in the UK, Uganda and El Salvador. He learns about the challenges these children and teenagers face, but also hears stories of resilience and hope. Among the children are 13-year-old Amber, who looks after two sick and disabled parents; 15-year-old Jordan, whose care role ties him to the house almost completely; and 13-year-old Gloria from Uganda, who looks after four younger siblings all on her own.

Transcript

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0:00.0	The dark is rising from the BBC World Service.
0:04.0	The powers of the dark are reaching out now steadily and stealthily all over this world.
0:10.0	Find out more at the end of this podcast.
0:18.0	It's the middle of summer in southern England and all around me children and teenagers are having fun.
0:24.0	Jumping up and down on bouncy castles, decorating yummy cupcakes, playing Caribbean still pans and much much more.
0:37.0	All the children here have one thing in common.
0:40.0	Normally they spend hours every day looking after a sick or disabled family member.
0:45.0	In other words, they're young, unpaid carers.
0:49.0	I look after two brothers, one with diabetes and one with asthma.
0:55.0	I don't think my friends understand that caring is a full-time thing.
1:00.0	Like I was walking home from school and I saw an ambulance turned out and I was absolutely terrified that it was my mum.
1:06.0	I feel like I've really missed out on my childhood. I feel like I'm already a grown man in a child's body.
1:12.0	Experts estimate that one in ten children in the UK have a heavy caring role. That's over one million.
1:20.0	As many as one in five have lighter care and duties.
1:25.0	I'm Arisha Williams and I was one of those kids once.
1:30.0	When I was 12, my mother contracted multiple sclerosis and I had to take responsibility for looking after her and two younger siblings.
1:40.0	In this documentary from the BBC World Service, I'll be meeting kids who are in the same boat, in Britain and elsewhere.
1:53.0	As a teenage carer for my mum, I had a dream.
1:57.0	To become a successful singer and make lots of money to help find a cure for her.
2:02.0	Part of that dream actually came true when my band JLS came second in a national talent contest.
2:14.0	But today is not about my music career.
2:17.0	I'm off to find out about the enormous challenges young carers face, but I'll also be hearing stories of resilience and hope.
	...

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