Getting to Know Your International Contacts

Like in many countries the poverty is very high.  The children cannot attend school, learning difficulties, tooth decay, height is low, defenses and hunger.  Most children will eat once a day from their families.  If they eat anything else, a fruit, bread they have gotten it by way of themselves, steal or find mostly.  A lot of parents are alcoholic.  A child mostly will have four or five brothers and sister with no certificate of birth.  They usually live in shared facility with no running water, electricity, or toilet.  Homes are one room made of block walls, metal roofs, and soil floor rented for 100bs.  The community is malaria prone.

Poverty, domestic violence and lack of education are a way of life for the children of Bolivia.  When parents are unable to provide for their children, the idea of learning becomes a faraway thought.  For these children merely living from day to day is difficult.  Bolivia a country full of forgotten children.  

Warmly, Loreana

Sharing Web Resources

What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?

                As I continue to visit the National Black Child Development Institute web site I have found many of the sections to be interesting and bring to light many subjects I have not thought about.   The section title News Is relevant to my current professional development because it share current events happening in the Early childhood Field today. I find the web site to be encouraging my thinking in regards to my care and education of children.  It shares a common societal concern.   

Which ideas/statements/resources, either on the website or in an e-newsletter, did you find controversial or made you think about an issue in new ways?

                The site is a source for helping children of color.  As a teacher I work hard not to have bias.  That doesn’t mean there not there.  The site reminds me that there are many theories about the nature of children.  To be a good teacher I will need to remember the current needs of young children are changing in many ways.

What information does the website or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?

                The Initiatives Early Childhood Education section provides recent events taking place that can help or and hinder the education of our children.  This month share information on what took place at the Head Start’s Eleventh National Research Conference.  The initiatives section gives up dated information on local and national events that are having an effect on the early childhood field.

What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter?

                I found an article posted about the study of asthma increasing among African-American children.  Asthma is not disease I would have labeled race inherited.

               

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 1

Lorena, age 24,

Teacher: ages 8-13 Show Details

FROM:

• Lorena Caballero Roman

TO:

• Lillie Brumwell

Message flagged

Friday, July 15, 2011 6:27 PM

Message body

Hi Lillie, 

I'll be glad to help you because I worked for an organization that helps poor children to find an sponsor so they can study,have food and medical access. 

Poverty is a major issue in Bolivia and children are the most affected because if their parents don't have incomes to raise the family, kids have to work in order to help their parents and most of them can't go to school because of their extreme poverty. Another effects of poverty on children are illnesses, they live in places where there isn't running water, sewer, and they don't have medical insurance. Sometimes all the family has an only room to live so they use it as a kitchen and bedroom. Migration is another issue that we have to take into account as an effect of poverty, parents decide to go to other countries (Argentina, Spain and Italy) to earn money for raising their kids who are left with a relative. When children are left by their parents, they are prone to be victims of abuse or they can be gang members.

I'm sending you some files of kids that needed to be sponsored so you will see their reality.

 If you need more information just let me know :)

            The people of La Paz, Bolivia are farmers or street vendors living in poverty.  children suffer from malnutrition, illness caused from being malnourished, medication,  lack of early childhood stimulation, education and political unrest.  Farmers and/or street vendors do not have health insurance.

"On average , of the 255,00 infants born each year, 7,000 die in the first month, another 7,000 do not survive their first year." (http://www.unicef.org)

Almost half of the population in Bolivia is made up of children and adolescents.  Poverty living conditions cause a low level of physical, mental and cognitive development.  The rights of children have not yet been developed.   

There is a very high demand for child labor because it is so inexpensive.  Children work in sweatshops, vegetable fields, and mining.  For this reason children are sold to traffickers for as little as $3.00.  Without any education or form of normal childhood.  It is a form of slavery, confined, beaten and psychological wounded.  Adolescent girls are pregnant or are already mothers themselves.  Sexually transmitted deceases, including HIV/AIDS is constantly growing. 

Childcare centers are small, dark and lack supplies.  But the children are happy to make their instruments and use empty product boxes as toys.  If they are fortunate enough to attend they can be feed by one of the volunteer health and nutrition programs. 

http://www.unicef.org/bolivia

lapaz@unicef.org 

Sharing Web Resources

National Black Child Development Institute

http://nbcdi.org/

(Newsletter: http://nbcdi.org/support/sign-up-for-nbcdi-newsletters/)

The National Black Child Development Institute is an advocacy group developed by the Black Women’s Community Development Foundation in 1970.  The women were very concerned about the lack of resource and support available to black families who were trying to raise healthy, reliable, dependable citizens.

 Since 1970, the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) has remained strong in its mission –“To improve and protect the quality of life for children of color and their families by giving every child a chance.”  With a focus on early childhood education, child welfare, elementary and secondary education, and health, the Institute accomplishes this mission. 

The current issue/trend from the newsletter and/or from the website that caught my attention is

NBCDI core programs.  To accomplish the vision and create a nationwide awareness of NBCDI .  Working on behalf of children of color, NBCDI works to sustain and expand the following core program areas:

• The Early Years and Parenting—Love to Read, The  Parent  Empowerment Program, African American Parents Project and SPARK: Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids

•The Middle Years – Entering the College Zone

•Community Mobilization – The National Affiliate Network

I would like to share something I learned from studying these resources related to the topic of this week.

This Week in Black History, This week is Black Child Development Week!

July 4^th  In 1881, Booker T. Washington opened Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

July 5^th  In 1892, Andrew Beard is issues a patent for teh rotary engine

July 6^th  In 1957, Althea Fibson won the women's single tennis championship at Wimbledon, England

July 9^th  In 1868, The 14th Amendment was ratified making Black Americans citizens

July 10^th In 1893, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed the world's first successful open heart surgery at Provident Hospital in Chicago

INTERNATIONAL WEBSITE

International Child Resource Institute

www.icrichild.org/

Founded in 1981, their goal is “empowering the village to raise the child”.

Their vision is a world in where all children and their families can fulfill their greatest potential.

The organizations focus is working to improve the lives of children and their families around the world.  Focusing on early childhood care and education, children’s rights, empowerment of women and girls, maternal/child health, and grassroots community development.

One current issue/trend from the newsletter and/or from the website that caught my attention is the consulting ICRI provides.  Giving expert consultation and technical support on the developing or improving of child and family programs around the world.  A two of their major projects, Central Bank of Malaysia: Designed and developed a child development center for over 400 children.

The California Consortium of child abuse:  developed a coordinated system of local child abuse prevention councils throughout the state.  

I would like to share something anything else I learned from studying these resources related to the topic of this week.

It is the ICRI involvement in a program named HOMEY.  Homies Organizing the Mission to Empower Youth.  The organization serves youth of color from low income neighborhoods of San Francisco.