This assignment asked us to do some research through UNICEF to discover challenges that children face around the world. This really opened my eyes and put my own life into perspective, making me feel as if my life is extravagant, which is very well is in comparison to the millions of children living in poverty and poor health conditions around the globe.
For my research, I chose to take a look at Latin America and the Caribbean. I chose this region because I am somewhat familiar with this region, as I have had extended stays in both Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. My stays there really shined a light onto the way that these people live. Through my experiences and conversations with the natives of these two places, hunger and poverty are no stranger. It is not uncommon for people to travel hours to a job, work 12-14 hours, and then travel hours home. Most homes in these very hot places do not have air conditioning and all of them do not have safe drinking water. My love for these beautiful countries and the amazing people that I encountered really sparked a passion in me and caused me to want to help these people and their beautiful homelands. I donate regularly to organizations that go to this region and stay there, building safe homes for families. I try to stay up to date on relevant issues in this region and donate my time, money, etc. to helping out when I can.
With Latin America and the Caribbean being the most unequal regions in the world, it is to no surprise that the residents live in extreme poverty and hunger. Achieving primary education is an accomplishment, as only 1 in 4 children in the poorest 20% complete primary education. Safe drinking water, sanitation, health care, and safe homes are among the problems that families and children face. In fact, there are about 60 million people in the region that do not have access to safe drinking water, and about 100 million without sanitation. Natural disasters are also a problem, leaving more than 100,000 residents homeless just last year. (Source: UNICEF)
With all of these struggles that families and children in this region face, how in the world do we expect these children to develop into healthy adults? A lot of these children are going hungry, have no access to clean drinking water, and are not receiving immunizations, leaving them suseptible to things like malaria. When looking at their lives, education is the least of their worries, they are simply trying to survive. Facing these types of struggles leaves these children suffering. Their brains can not properly develop when they are starving. Their bodies are dehydrated due to a lack of water. They are often sick and have no access to health care.
As an American, I am obviously very privileged. I have a full time job, a car, a house, and food in my kitchen. I have more than enough clothing and am often wasteful without even realizing it. I think that anyone who is privileged should really open their eyes to what goes on in the rest of the world. We can help these children and make a difference. We need to shine a light onto these issues and get people involved. If we are in a position to help, why wouldn't we? Innocent children should not suffer because they happened to be born in a poor country. I think that it is important that we advocate for ALL children, all around the world.
Like you I was also moved to see how families live in other countries. I feel that we are truly lucky here in United States for having the basic necessities provided for us, like education. Many countries that UNICEF serve do not have access to primary education. Like you, I also believe this is one of the reasons why they live in extreme poverty. I am glad that UNICEF is there to help provide the support they need.
ReplyDeleteCassie, it hard to believe that an area of the world that is shown to be so beautiful on the televison and in the movies can faced so many problems when it comes to poverty, hunger and unsafe conditions. These children need all the help that we can give them and it is truly hard to read how much they struggle to survive everyday.
ReplyDeleteCassie you are right, most times we sit in our comfort zones not knowing what happens to children around us. We really need to advocate for these children like we said. Our profession has called us into this wonderful work, which we must diligently do. Starting from our classrooms and environment, we will gradually reach many children. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteDear Cassie,
ReplyDeleteI have never been any of countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean area. From you, I learned the issues relate the children in the area are extreme poverty and hunger. Only 1 in 4 in the poorest complete primary education. I believe the poverty is a big issue. I am glad the UNICEF has the statist on the issue. In the area, I explored, and they do not have the exact number of children. There are a lot of invisible children. Thanks for sharing.