Karin’s Sims 2 stories

THE PROSPERITY PROJECT

From: Department of Social Affairs
To: City Council of Rotterdam

Situation:
Due to different factors (refer to the “Poverty in Rotterdam in the 21st century” for a detailed list and analysis) our town has a high number of people who are poor and therefore have less opportunities to become prosperous. In the longterm this will decrease the attraction of our nice city. The Rotterdam city council needs to interfere and make sure the tide will turn.

Objective:
To create an environment for poor people to become prosperous on their own, to embellish the town they live in and to give this legacy to their children, grandchildren and further offspring.

Means:
- Turn the empty valley of Welvarendam into a test area
- Create 4 lots that will be given to the selected families
- Funds to cover the 20K that each family starts with and occasional 20K needed for offspring wanting to have their own home
- Funds to cover taxi fares and carpools to take the Welvarendam inhabitants to work and downtown
- Funds to pay off any debts from the selected families

Selection of the families:
The 4 families will be selected according to these criteria:
- No money, only debts
- Recent tragic events that the family hasn’t created by themselves
- Little opportunity to change their lives and their chances at a prosperous life

The Department of Social Affairs already has selected 4 families and proposes the city council to accept them into the PROSPERITY PROJECT.

Reporting on progres:
Every (sim)week a social worker will visit each family in Welvarendam and write a report to the Deputy of Social Affairs. The appendix of this memo contains the format. In case of serious events or high unforeseen costs, the Deputy has to inform the city council.

Appendix I: Selected families

The KLEINGELD family

Monica Kleingeld, female, adult, mother (*).
Kevin Kleingeld, male, teen, Popularity (LTW: have 20 best friends), Pisces (5-3-7-3-7), son.

The family has serious debts, due to the fact that the mother hasn’t been able to stay on any job for the last 10 years. She has been admitted several times to psychiatric hospitals, leaving her son Kevin in the hands of nannies and nice neighbors. Her last admittance lasted over 1 year and mother and son have grown apart.
By getting this family into the PROSPERITY PROJECT, the son will enter a more friendly environment and he will depend less on his mother to finish his intellectual and emotional education.

(*) In prosperity challenge terms, Monica Kleingeld is a placeholder mother.

The LAGEMAAT family

Linda Lagemaat, female, adult, Pleasure (LTW: have 50 dream dates), Taurus (5-5-3-8-4), mother
Mark Lagemaat, male, teen, Family (LTW: Marry off 6 children), Aries (5-8-6-3-3), son

Last month, Linda’s husband died and left his wife and his son with no money. Together Linda and Mark struggle to make something of their lifes, but they have a hard time providing for basic things like food, home and clothes. Their debts aren’t many yet, but in 2 years they will be in great financial trouble.
To avoid that situation, this family should be admitted to the PROSPERITY PROJECT. Given their past behaviour, they could be a example to other families with regards to the social environment of Welvarendam.

The MINDERHOUT family

Oscar Minderhout, male, teen, Romance (LTW: become celebrity chef), Taurus (5-5-3-8-4), eldest son
Paul Minderhout, male, toddler, Libra (2-8-2-6-7), youngest son, twin brother of Paula
Nelis Minderhout, male, adult, father (*)
Paula Minderhout, female, toddler, Capricorn (7-4-1-8-5), daughter, twin sister of Paul
Maarten Minderhout, male, elder, Popularity (LTW: become Mayor), Libra (2-8-2-6-7), grandfather

The Minderhout family has already been through a lot when the mother died 2 years ago of cancer. Six months ago, it was confirmed that the father also suffers from this terrible disease and that not much can be done.
After the death of the mother, the father had a nervous breakdown and he hasn’t had a job since then. The grandfather soon came to live with his family, but his small pension is hardly enough to feed the twin-toddlers and a teenage boy.
By admitting the Minderhout family into the PROSPERITY PROJECT, they can start again with a financially healthy point. The new neighbors might help this family to forget the tragic losses they suffered and will suffer.

(*) In prosperity challenge terms, Nelis Minderhout is a placeholder father.

The GOUDZOEKER family

Geert Goudzoeker, male, elder, Fortune (LTW: become chief of staff), Capricorn (7-4-1-8-5), grandfather
Hilda Goudzoeker, female, adult, Romance (LTW: become professional party guest), Aquarius (4-4-4-7-5), mother
Jessica Goudzoeker, female, child, Capricorn (7-4-1-8-5), youngest daughter, twin sister of Jesse
Ivette Goudzoeker, female, teen, Fortune (LTW: earn 100K), Aries (5-8-6-3-3), eldest daughter, twin sister of Ivo
Jesse Goudzoeker, male, child, Aquarius (4-4-4-7-5), youngest son, twin brother of Jessica
Ivo Goudzoeker, male, teen, Popularity (LTW: become hall of famer), Taurus (5-5-3-8-4), eldest son, twin brother of Ivette

The mother has never been married and got two sets of twins from different fathers. The father of the youngest twins lived with the family until recently. Two months ago his company went bankrupt and this family lost their only source of income.
Although the mother has her own ways of finding new sources of money, for the sake of the children this family needs to be admitted to the PROSPERITY PROJECT. Thus they can start afresh and build their own source of income.

Appendix II: the report format

Week nr. [fill in number of week reported]

Lot name and address
List of Inhabitants:
1. Full name, F/M, lifestage, Aspiration (LTW:), Zodiac sign (statistics), family relation
2. to 8. in same way

Main events of the week
This is to be done in a narrative way, from a perspective that is as objective as possible.

Achievements:
Births:
Marriages:
Deaths:
Platinum graves:
Fulfilled impossible wants:
Fulfilled lifetime wants:
Top of career:
Miscellaneous:

Decision of the City Council

The City Council of Rotterdam has read this memo with the utmost interest. However, the following remarks are added to the project:
- The financial situation of whole Welvarendam needs to be kept under strict control
- Contacts with other inhabitants of Rotterdam are under conditions (please refer to the rules, available at the Prosperity Challenge Yahoo Group)

With these remarks made, the City Council of Rotterdam accepts the PROSPERITY PROJECT with 31 against 8. This project can start as of today.