For this week's assignment, we were to use the UNICEF website to explore challenges to the healthy emotional development for children specific to the part of the world in which they live. I originally chose Belize, but I quickly realized that it didn't really matter where I chose. Children world wide are suffering in many of the same ways.
Poverty is present everywhere. No matter where you look, there are children living in the streets or makeshift homes, lacking electricity and clean running water. They do not have enough food to eat, nor do they have clean clothes to wear. They do not have regular access to showers. They do not see doctors, sometimes even in emergency situations.
Natural disasters can and do strike all areas of the globe. Earthquakes, hurricanes, wild fires, tornadoes--all have the potential for death, injury, and utter destruction of everything in their paths. Children all over the world can and do fall victim to Mother Nature.
There is no where on the planet that is immune to acts of terrorists or war. Children attending a nice elementary school in New England are no safer from gunmen than children living in a war zone.
Too many children are growing up in a world where they do not have enough food to eat, do not have safe homes, cannot bathe regularly, and are afraid of harm coming to them every single day. Even children who live in nice houses with their basic needs met are taking part in "active shooter" drills in school. The impact on emotional development in these children is unimaginable.
Kathleen,
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, there is poverty, disease, and many other challenges for children and families all over the world even in the United States. In the state where I live I just saw a news article the other day that talked about how in our largest school district there is a huge number of homeless children enrolled. We have many departments in our district main office that are supporting those children and families. We have our own clothing distribution site as well as our own food bank where families can go to get help. Our particular school also has a food distribution truck that comes once a month to help families that do not have enough food to eat. We have had families that were living in many different situations some with relatives, some in motels, and some even in their cars. Our school also keeps school supplies to give to kids that come to school without them and do not have money to buy them. We keep extra clothes and coats for students that do not have them. We also have a program where we send backpacks with non perishable food items home with children every weekend so that they will have food at home on the days that they do not come to school. We are a 100% free breakfast and lunch Title 1 school. I think that it is very important to help supply the basic needs of our students, if possible. I do not think we can ask them to pay attention and learn if they are hungry or if they do not have the appropriate clothes to wear in different seasons.