Though I have not been able to make contact with any international professionals, having the opportunity to research what is happening in other countries in regards to early childhood has been enlightening. This week I went to the website of the Childhood Poverty Research and read about what was happening in India in regards to children and poverty around the period of 1999-2001. The findings are astounding.
During this time period in India 400 million of the population was between the ages of 0-18yrs. Almost half of all children (about 62 million) under the age of five were malnourished and 34 percent of newborns were significantly underweight. (Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre). In this time period this country had the largest number working children in the world. India has also been known for preferring boys over girls. Girl chances in life have been limited, with evidence showing in maternal mortality rates, neglect of girls, their enrolled in school less and accounted for participating in the workforce more often than boys (Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre). Though the may not be the same India still struggles with many of the same issues today.
In the podcast I reviewed from World Forum Radio I listened to a short episode from the director Delfina Mitchell of Liberty House in Belize of Central America. It did not talk about poverty, but what I believe to one of the affects of poverty. The podcast talked of a very sad story of a little boy who had grown up in a home of abuse and how him and his six other siblings were sent to the Liberty House because of abuse. When it was time to eat in his home, he would hide under the table so no one would take his food. This child was brought to Liberty House and he did not talk because of the abuse he had sustained. Eventually the boy did begin to talk again with counseling, medicine, nurturing and time in the Liberty House. Thank goodness places like Liberty House. Belize is considered to have the #1 incident rate of child abuse in the Caribbean’s.
World Forum Foundation www.libertyfoundation.org.uk/projects_libertycareprogram.html
Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre’s page (http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/
Gloria,
ReplyDeleteDespite the fact that poverty is a global thing , I believe that United states is a blessed country. After reading your post, I thought about my home country and the rate of child-poverty . As educators, we can help in reducing poverty by providing quality education and by informing families about the benefits that are available in the community.
Olufemi.