Because I have not received any return emails from my inquiry emails I have chosen to do the Alternative Assignment with the World Forum Foundation Radio pod casts. I listened to Delfena Mitchell. She is the Director of the Liberty Children's Home in Belize. Delfena discussed a young child in her care who had been severely physically abused and neglected. When he came to her program, he would not speak. They attempted to enroll him in a community school, but he only lasted one week before he was kicked out. Delfena felt he had difficulty understanding certain things. She took him on a horseback ride through the countryside, away from all other people. In the serenity of the country and with the calmness of the animal, the child began to talk to Delfena. He told her of his physical abuse and having to hide under his bed to eat his food so his siblings or the other adults in the house would not steal it from him. He spoke of one relative, an uncle, for whom he cared for a great deal. It was rewarding for Delfena that she was able to provide him a way to begin his healing process.I sent an email to info@libertyfoundation.org.uk asking if Delfena or any of their representatives could send me a message discussing the impact poverty may have had on these children and if they find that children living in poverty either have higher, lower, or about the same instances of abuse as children who live above the poverty line. Unfortunately, I have not received a return email, but I will update this blog when I do.
I learned a great deal from the website http://childhoodpoverty.org. I chose to review Kyrgyzstan. They have a very large population of children under the age of seven in what they term "chronic poverty". The research from 2001 shows that 87% of the children from a study of 4 rural and 2 urban cities are living in chronic poverty. Interested parties spoke with government officials about the large amount of families and children living in poverty and they discussed ways to improve conditions. Around the same time that ideas were being presented to the Kyrgyzstan government, several videos were produced to depict what life is like for families living in poverty. The videos showed young children working in mines, sewing, or washing dishes to earn money for their families. The videos also showed deplorable living conditions and the struggles of young children who are trying to get an education despite their poverty conditions. I watched four of the videos and they are very enlightening. The young boy who worked in the mine showed no emotion. He just worked. He knew nothing else. Poverty takes away childhood.
On an up note, there is research to suggest that access to health care for children and families in poverty is becoming easier, and there are ideas suggested on how the government and other private agencies could help decrease the rate of poverty in Kyrgyzstan. Some of the suggestions were to increase loan terms, decrease interest rates, reduce the amount of documentation required to receive credit, inform families of their entitlements to social programs and opportunities, and their social protection benefits. The main problem is getting this information to the families who need it the most. As has been a practice for other countries, Kyrgyzstan may need to set up a social program where workers/volunteers go door-to-door to try to get the information out.
All countries throughout the globe are facing a growing crisis of childhood poverty. All countries can take cues from each other on what works and what does not work in assisting families who are in need of government assistance. The Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Center has several programs that they are working on that suggest ideas, and support people who are willing to submit ideas, to if not end, at least decrease the risks of poverty, which tend to be very similar throughout all nations of the world. If nations could work together to create strong social policies, that collective organization of ideas may be very helpful in fighting world poverty.
References:
Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Center, (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.childhoodpoverty.org
World Forum Foundation Radio, (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php
The information you shared on Delfena Mitchell is heartwarming. It is amazing how one person can make a difference in the life of a child. I find children in my school age program who are withdrawn and communicate only with disruptive behavior. My staff and I try and give them a shoulder to lean on; a safe person to talk to if you will, but sometimes what the children hear and see at home is very much ingrained. The other day one such child said to me, "I am bad, there is no good Thomas". Like Delfena, we just have to keep trying.
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