The region that I chose was East Asia and Pacific. I chose this region for many reasons. I have a friend who recently moved to Myanmar and I'd like to know what conditions she might encounter there. I have another couple of friends who adopted a child from Viet Nam after living there for 4 years. I had the opportunity to visit the orphanage where there child lived for the first 2 years of his life while I was on vacation. It was very interesting to see and I want to get more information about it. I also have children in my class who come from this area. For the most part they are not children who suffer from the conditions that may impact development but I'd like to know more about the general situation in their countries.
The main problems faced by children in the region are extreme poverty and lack of infrastructure. In some areas violent conflict also has a role to play. Many children are unable to go to school because the family does not have the money to pay for it. This is especially true for girls because many of the societies in the area don't value girls as much as boys. In Myanmar, the high poverty level in Rakhine State was made worse by an outbreak of violent conflict between the majority Buddhist communities and the minority Muslim communities (Brown, 2015). This resulted in many Muslim communities being displaced from their homes and placed in protected camps. Many families lost their livelihood and had to rely on food aid. The situation was worsened again by flooding this past summer. Poverty also results in undernourishment and a struggle for resources particularly during or after a disaster. Children in the region also face discrimination and marginalisation based on language or religion or social rank. They may have limited access to services. Children in the area face the danger of being sold in to the sex trade. There are many obstacles to a healthy development.
These obstacles have a noticeable effect on the emotional development of children in the area. Children need to feel safe. Being displaced from their homes does not allow this feeling. Struggling to get enough to eat or being forced to work to help support the family also eats into a child's feeling of safety. Children should be able to play and learn. "The human dignity of children and their families is often the first casualty of a crisis" (UNICEF, 2003). Children need to have love and care. Families who are in crisis often struggle to meet emotional as well as physical needs of children.
This insight is important for me. While this kind of extreme poverty will not affect the children that I work with here, reading about what other children are facing reminds me of the importance of understanding the individual situations of the children in my class. Reading about the obstacles faced in this region allows me to view the obstacles faced here in a different light. Ensuring that a child's basic needs for a healthy emotional development is a priority in early childhood education. What we do or don't do can impact children for the rest of their lives.
References
Brown, A. (2015, September 8) In Myanmar, the power of education to build a joint future. Retrieved from https://blogs.unicef.org/east-asia-pacific/in-myanmar-the-power-of-education-to-build-a-joint-future/
UNICEF. (2003, September 26). UNICEF's work in conflict. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/media/media_14803.html
The main problems faced by children in the region are extreme poverty and lack of infrastructure. In some areas violent conflict also has a role to play. Many children are unable to go to school because the family does not have the money to pay for it. This is especially true for girls because many of the societies in the area don't value girls as much as boys. In Myanmar, the high poverty level in Rakhine State was made worse by an outbreak of violent conflict between the majority Buddhist communities and the minority Muslim communities (Brown, 2015). This resulted in many Muslim communities being displaced from their homes and placed in protected camps. Many families lost their livelihood and had to rely on food aid. The situation was worsened again by flooding this past summer. Poverty also results in undernourishment and a struggle for resources particularly during or after a disaster. Children in the region also face discrimination and marginalisation based on language or religion or social rank. They may have limited access to services. Children in the area face the danger of being sold in to the sex trade. There are many obstacles to a healthy development.
These obstacles have a noticeable effect on the emotional development of children in the area. Children need to feel safe. Being displaced from their homes does not allow this feeling. Struggling to get enough to eat or being forced to work to help support the family also eats into a child's feeling of safety. Children should be able to play and learn. "The human dignity of children and their families is often the first casualty of a crisis" (UNICEF, 2003). Children need to have love and care. Families who are in crisis often struggle to meet emotional as well as physical needs of children.
This insight is important for me. While this kind of extreme poverty will not affect the children that I work with here, reading about what other children are facing reminds me of the importance of understanding the individual situations of the children in my class. Reading about the obstacles faced in this region allows me to view the obstacles faced here in a different light. Ensuring that a child's basic needs for a healthy emotional development is a priority in early childhood education. What we do or don't do can impact children for the rest of their lives.
References
Brown, A. (2015, September 8) In Myanmar, the power of education to build a joint future. Retrieved from https://blogs.unicef.org/east-asia-pacific/in-myanmar-the-power-of-education-to-build-a-joint-future/
UNICEF. (2003, September 26). UNICEF's work in conflict. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/media/media_14803.html
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