I chose to explore a region in Africa. The country I chose was Ghana.
I chose this region because I always wonder how children in countries such as
Ghana are affected differently than children in the U.S. Ghana is one of many
third world countries and it is interesting to learn how things are handled and
what challenges are faced in a country that is the complete opposite of my
own.
The caption on this picture from the website read: “I will go
close to children who are physically challenged and invite them to play
with me because I know they are just like me.”
This was very touching that this child notices children who are
disabled and invites them to play with him. It is also touching that he
recognizes that they are just like him (children), but can’t do things exactly
like him because they are physically challenged.
Specific challenges in this area that would affect the emotional
development of children who live here:
· 1.2 million
children (under the age of 5) have no national identity in Ghana - This can
make those children feel unimportant because they are without an identity. I
think our identity is an important aspect in life. These children deserve to be
acknowledged and identified. They might also feel as though they do not belong
anywhere.
· Poverty
- Not being able to have access to food, water, clothing, and
shelter can be damaging to children in this area (Physically, Mentally, and
Emotionally). Not getting the proper nourishment may hinder a child’s
development.
· Weak child
protection - Children’s emotional development suffers if they don’t even have
support or protection from things such as physical and/or sexual abuse.
· Child
mortality – Things such as this can definitely cause children’s emotional
development to suffer. Children see other children suffer from diseases and
other things and can do nothing about it. They really have a lot to deal with.
I gained many insights from this assignment. It is hard to read about
and see that children all over the world suffer from the same things, but in
different ways and to different degrees. For instance, children in the U.S. may
suffer from poverty, but not as bad as some children in other countries such as
Ghana.
Reference
Tiffany, I have had the wonderful pleasure to work with a family from Ghana and through their example of supporting their community learned much about what “it takes a village to raise a child” truly means. The mother of this family has returned to Ghana several times despite the dangers involved in her efforts to support the education of young girls and women. She explains that many children are born to young teenage women who do not have the means or skills to support their children. It is her hope that through supporting mothers, many of the challenges children face in Ghana could begin to ease.
ReplyDeleteSandra
Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteThis was an overwhelming assignment in a sense that I'm sure all of our awareness was increased to the traumas and experiences children around the world experience on a daily basis. However overwhelming, this awareness can only help grow the advocacy we have for our own students and knowledge we continue to build on how to best provide welcoming, safe, compassionate environments for which our students can thrive.
Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post! When children's basic needs ( food, shelter, water, and safety) are unmet, they are unable to focus on academics, and I agree that this hinders areas of development, as well as growth. In the United States our children are giving a much better start, that is not to say that low SES does not exists, but it seems as though we have a greater load of resources, and support systems.
Hello Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteI find it sadden to know there are children living in our world, who in fact, are not able to have a general information of their identity. I agree on the statement of children not feeling important because they lose access of where they come from, their family origin and so forth. I also find it sad to know some children and families have limited access to food and water. This is why teachers and all public leaders need to take a stand against social issues. By having no food, water and other basic needs could lead for a child to develop deadly disease and other physical ailments in which increase premature deaths in childhood.
Tanya Terrell