I chose to look at the challenges that many of the children in Eastern and Southern Africa encounter on a daily basis. I chose this region partly because I am African American and because Africa has always been a county of curiosity to me. Many parts of Africa do not have the best living conditions, educational system, and health systems as in some other countries.
The children in Eastern and Southern Africa face the challenges of violence, abuse, exploitation, and child labor at a very early age. National studies in Ethiopia, South Africa and Swaziland show that between 30 and 40 percent of girls suffer from sexual abuse and violence before they are 18 years old. Other forms of violence that are condoned by society include female genital mutilation/cutting and early marriage. Gender inequalities are also viewed as a challenge. Many girls remain excluded from education. “Vulnerable children such as girls, nomadic children, orphans, children with disabilities, children from households affected by HIV/AIDS or by armed conflict and natural disasters are particularly at risk of missing out on primary education” (UNICEF). Medical care is nearly impossible to find in many parts of Somalia. Child labor remains a problem across the continent of Africa. “This phenomenon is both a cause and a consequence of poverty, and it perpetuates impoverishment by severely compromising children’s education” (UNICEF).
The children in this region emotional well -being and development is in deeply affected in a negative manner because of all the violence, poverty, abuse that they face daily in their environment. Everyday life is a risk for the children in this region of the world because many are still subjected to violence and exploitation as well as to harmful cultural practices.
Personally and professionally I am deeply sadden to know that children have to deal with issues such as mentioned at a very early age in life. Children should not be subjected to such conditions anyway. I think it has to be very challenging for those children to concentrate on learning. And, I can understand how these children may suffer from emotional behavior problem in their lives.
Reference
UNICEF (2012). Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html
Allison, you made a great point when you emphasized the cyclical relationship between child labor and poverty. Poverty creates the need for child labor which compromises the child's ability to get an education (which will elevate him out of poverty) causing the child to continue to live in poverty as an adult and precipitate the need for his own children to work rather than go to school. Without assistance, these families will never be able to jettison themselves out of these circumstances. Well stated!
ReplyDeletePoverty is the main cause of child of child labor in most part of Africa. I think UNICEF is really doing a lot in this region but more needs to be done to assist in bring these families out of poverty which is through education.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing
Allison,
ReplyDeleteAfrica always have some type of child poverty to take affect. I have a few people whom I have talked to that is from Africa and they always claim that the part of Africa that they are from have plenty of money and how they don't have children who are living in poverty. I even watches sat down and watched fashion shows that they have participated in. I guess the part they are in have no poverty.
Thanks for sharing!
Tracey