Childhood Stressor: Poverty
I chose poverty, because one of my dear friends grew up in a single parent home with 10 siblings. She often went to sleep at night hungry and afraid. She had to sleep on the floor because she didn’t have a bed to sleep in. A rat bit off the tip of one of her and her younger brother’s fingers one night while they were asleep. They did not have money or medical insurance, so their mother improvised by making a home remedy to treat their wound. The electricity was constantly shut off because her mother could not afford to pay the bill. All of her older brothers had to drop out of school in order to work in the fields so that the family could have food on the table, while her older sister stayed at home to help her mother cook, clean and raise her and her younger brother.
Poverty in Ethiopia:
Ethiopia is one of the world’s poorest countries. About 44 per cent of the population lives under the poverty line, more than 12 million people are chronically or at least periodically food insecure. Most of them live in rural areas with agriculture as their main occupation.
With about 80% of Ethiopians dependent on agriculture as their main livelihood, severe arid conditions due to persistent lack of rainfall coupled with civil disputes have worsened Ethiopian poverty. There has been a recent increase in poverty due to the sharp increases in food and fertilizer market prices. These increases have made it very difficult for the already poor households in Ethiopia to secure an adequate supply of food. Even though Oromiya cultivate inset, acts as buffer storage at the time of drought and dearth, there is still not enough food. People lack coping mechanisms for facing drought-induced famines, and contingency planning is inadequate.
Poverty Stressor Impacts child development in Ethiopia:
Due to the increase level of poverty in Ethiopia, only 34 percent of the children attend school. Many of the others have to work to support themselves and their families. According to the United Nations Children's Fund 'State of the World's Children Report 2008', 12 percent of Ethiopian children die before they reach the age of five. Close to 75,000 children suffering from severe malnutrition and 4.6 million people experiencing food shortage.
According to Bekele Tefera, policy co-coordinator of Save the Children in Ethiopia, children deserve special attention from government particularly at times of economic crisis and drought, but unfortunately, this assistance is minimal. Zelalem Adugna, HIV/AIDS advisor to Save the Children, says Ethiopia has a lot to learn from countries like Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Namibia which have successfully implemented policies for children.
References:
Adebe, S. (2008, September). Understanding Poverty Impact on Children. Inter Press Service News Agency. Retrieved from http://ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=43836
Maps of the World. (1999-09). Poverty In Ethiopia. Retrieved from http://finance.mapsofworld.com/economy/ethiopia/poverty.html
I understand your friend's situation. My father is always telling me about how hard it was for my grandfather growing up. My grandfather dropped out of school in the sixth grade to work so that he could help put food on the table for his family. Poverty is also one my biggest issues as a teacher in a public school. I have brought school supplies, booksacks, and coats for some of my students. We keep extra uniforms in the guidance office. You want to do so much but it is so hard because they are so many who need help.
ReplyDeleteBrenda,
ReplyDeleteI totally understand what you are talking about. My mother and grand parents say to me today that we have it made. We should and I do thank the Lord everyday for what he has done for me. I hated to read about the rat biting your friend and her brother finger off because they had nowhere to sleep other than the floor. People in today's society are still having hard times. Prayer answers everything.....
I do understand what it means to go without. I have this family that lives in their car with their seven children right now. Both parents lost their jobs and do not have money to support an adequate house. They do not understand how to get the help they need so my center is assisting them to find a place. The little boy that comes to school is a very good eater and we make sure that he gets extra if wanted. It is so sad to see children helpless in this situation. As teachers we try our best to assist our children and their families as best as possible by supplying them with resources and counseling to support their need.
ReplyDeleteI have work in daycare where we made sure we had heavy meal on Mondays because we new there were children who did not eat over the weekend and we also had heavy meals on Friday because of the same reason they may not have another meal until Monday. I have seen hungery chidren it is hard to take. As long as I am in the daycare business I will make sure the children I am working with will have plenty of food. Thank you for sharing your story.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sad situation that your friend had to go through as a child. Similar to many of the other postings, many of us have been told stories of our parents or grandparents time as children and that we certainly do have it made with all the benefits we have including food, electricity and good medical care. Poverty takes affect on all types of essential growth that children undergo.
ReplyDelete