I chose the East Asia and Pacific because I do not have knowledge of the impacts on early education in this area. The other areas it seemed that I have some knowledge on and hear more about in the media.
Challenges of children in this region:
Childhood poverty: In Lao PDR, while 38 percent of children are assessed as income poor, as many as 75 percent are assessed as living in poverty. Inequalities are the major factor to child poverty in this area. Adults see poverty primarily as a lack of income; children see poverty as not having enough to eat or not being able to go to school.
Nutritional Status: A survey reported that one in three children under age five in Viet Nam do not currently meet their full height potential which causes problems with cognitive and social growth. This is caused by chronic nutritional deficiency during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life. The damage caused by this deficiency to a child’s development is permanent.
Fiji Floods: 14,000 people (5,000 children) had to leave their homes due to the flooding in Western and Central Fiji. These people are sheltered in evacuation centers that are lacking access to water, food, and other items. There is concern for sickness and disease, as Leptospirosis, diarrhea and typhoid are a real threat in the flood-affected areas.
Any time a child is living in unsafe or unhealthy circumstances it can affect their emotional wellbeing and development. A child that lives in poverty does not get proper nutrition, and experiences horrible natural disasters will have challenges in development.
Exploring this website and reading about the challenges in East Asia and the Pacific reminds me of the many emotional challenges that children all over the world experience. Although issues of severe poverty are not prevalent in my local community, I know that we have these issues in parts of our country as well. I would be interested to dig deeper and try to find out if there are government programs that support some of these families in this region. Reading information like this inspires me to find a way to make a difference (even if it is a small difference) in the emotional well-being of young children.
Tabitha,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. Reading these information makes me feel guilty about my blessings.Even though I am not rich and fancy I know I am healthy, loved and safe. I do want to help but then I think about all the children who need in U.S.A. so as always I ended up helping the programs in U.S.A. first.It is amazing to see what goes around the world every single day.
Thank you for sharing!!
Tabitha,
ReplyDeleteI can admit that it is very true that a child emotional well-being in hindered when they are living in unsafe environments or unhealthy circumstances. For many years I was that child. My main focus was trying to figure out where my next meal was coming from so I was not focused when I was in the classroom. I was more in tuned with trying to see if I was going home to my mother or spending the night at my grandmother house because the electricity was probably cut off. It is hard to focus under does circumstances.