My name is charity and like many of you, I have found myself stuck in the web of exorbitant hospital and school fees. We are charged thousands of dollars for the bare necessities of life — giving birth and feeding our children. A visit to the hospital can become a financial burden, leaving families with debts that linger for years.

It's common knowledge that not everybody has a lot of money, but it's worth noting that emergency medical care should not be a luxury that only a few can afford. When you are at the brink of death, when you are in desperate need of medical attention, the thought of hospital bills shouldn't even come to your mind, let alone add to your worry. Childbirth, a natural human process that brings joy to any family, should not be marred by the stress of debt.

Furthermore, asking parents to pay for their children's school lunches forces them to bear the brunt of a financial burden they might not be able to shoulder. The problem extends to almost all US schools - as per a 2018 report by School Nutrition Association, 75% of school districts had unpaid student meal debt. (Source: CNBC)

It's time to reconsider these policies. We must call upon our local and national leaders to rethink this approach. We must declare that healthcare should be affordable, childbirth should be valued, and feeding our students should be a priority. These are the bare minimum duties of a society.

Your signature could be the first step towards achieving this change. Stand with me to make giving birth and affordable school meals a right, not a privilege. Please, sign this petition!