Getting to know your international contacts

Well so far I have not heard from any of the contacts, However, I have to admit that at this point I am happy because the situation has given me the opportunity to re the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre’s page: http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/.

The country in which I decided to read about is Saharan –Africa.  Before reading about the hardship; (with no disrespect to this country), I use word hardship loosely and think because I still am having a hard time grasping what this country is going through. We were to share at least three insights or ideas in which we have gained from studying the website. Frist of all, even though I know that many counties suffer from poverty, and I also am fully aware of the word and the meaning of poverty. In fact my mother told me that when my sibling and I were growing up that we were poor, which was to my surprise because I never felt the distresses of being poor. (I realized that my mother was so good at making do until we never knew that we were going without).

After reading about Saharan, I have come to believe that (with all due respect, and not to minimize the condition of being poor) families living under the condition of being poor, is not a match for those families living in poverty. This particular article proved an overwhelming amount of information so much so until I found myself highlighting almost every sentence. However, I think what impacted me the most is how much we take for *granted (I know this is not a unfamiliar phrase). I am a die-hard for children staying in school and making seeking higher education a lifelong commitment. However, according to the researchers:

·        Most of the children are doing well if they are able to stay in school until the third grade. Many of the children as young as five years of age will take on a job just to help put food on their places.

·        Sometimes girls are married off at a young age just to help bring in money.

·        Many children are not able to be seen by a doctor for healthy checkups, let alone when they are ill and need to see a doctor. Many children die before their fifth birthday.

·       Many of the children’s death were curable if the children were able to have received medical attention.

I think what thoroughly impacted almost to tears is that many times there is not clear water… (Harper, Marcus, Wordofa, Rebelo, Nang’Wale Oulanyah, et al, 1998, pp 6, 14, & 47).

I know that I have to find out how I can help stamp out poverty if not all over the world at least from in my own town, community and or neighborhood.

 

 

Reference:

(Harper, Marcus, Wordofa, Rebelo, Nang’Wale Oulanyah, et l,

1998, pp. 6, 14, 47). CHILD POVERTY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA (pp.1-56).

ahttp://www.childhoodpoverty.org/.