The area I chose for this assignment was Latin America and
the Caribean. The more specific country that I then chose was Haiti. This area
really interests me because the majority of my children at our school come from
Haiti. Most of them have had a rough life before they were able to come to the
United States so what UNICEF does to help them within their country helps.
Children in this area of the world face hunger and issues
with shelter. Specifically in Haiti since the earthquakes many children have
been left to be homeless and are fighting hunger and sickness. In this country
they do not a have a good source of drinking water so many children over there
acquire many diseases from the water and food they eat.
In my personal experiences that I have had with the students
that we get at our school they usually have emotional scars from living in an
environment such as this. Many of them can remember being there for the
earthquake and all the damages and effects it had on them. Emotionally not
having a home to live in and not knowing where you will get food and water from
has a detrimental effect on children. This makes children worry about problems
that that are not there’s to worry about. Many children that we get are just
happy to be given the opportunity to be in the United States and feel safe.
Access to safe drinking water is an insecurity that is present in many countries. Project such as The Tap Project and Water for the World help provide clean, safe water for family’s everyday survival (Water and sanitation, 2014). Globally, water borne illnesses result in 1400 deaths every day of children under five years of age. Support of projects like this is needed to help improve the lives of children and families.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Water and sanitation, (2014), Retrieved from http://www.unicefusa.org/mission/survival/water
Zina,
ReplyDeleteIn my research on Iraq this week I also found clean drinking water was a major challenge. I am glad that you are able to provide a safe and nurturing environment for the children that come to you from Haiti. It must be such a relief for the children and families living here in the US to have a permanent living place and clean water.