Unfortunately no one I contacted got in touch with me and I was unable to access the podcasts and the link provided for this week. Instead I read about poverty on the UNICEF website at http://www.unicef.org/sowc05/english/poverty.html.
From the website I learned that millions of children do not experience childhood because of poverty (UNICEF, n.d.). It leaves them at a disadvantage that affects their “mental, physical, emotional and spiritual development” (p. 1,para. 1). There is a difference between child poverty and poverty in general. It does not only involve low income and consumption. Child poverty does not only take children’s suffering into account but also their disempowerment.”Children experience poverty with their hands, minds and hearts (p.1, para.2). It’s difficult to measure child poverty because there are many factors that go into it. For many children who live in poverty many “disadvantages overlap and reinforce one another”(p. 2, para. 3). One reason children face poverty in some regions is due in part to gender discrimination. Poverty often leaves children in a vulnerable position in which they are often exploited and are exposed to dangerous situations. A child’s family is suppose to be his or her safe haven. The more distance there is between the child and his family increases the risk to the child. They have to try to protect themselves (UNICEF, n.d.).
I realize that poverty is often a cycle that is hard to break because the factors that cause childhood poverty reinforce each other. It’s hard to eliminate poverty by only addressing one area. All the contributing factors need to be addressed and overcome in order for children not to live in poverty. Governments need to implement programs that tackle most if not all the factors that lead to childhood poverty and come up with ways to support families so those families can in turn support their children.
Reference:
UNICEF. (n.d.). Childhood under threat: The state of the world’s children 2005. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/sowc05/english/poverty.html
Hi Karina, .”Children experience poverty with their hands, minds and hearts" What a powerful statement, and one that we should all keep in mind when working with poverty. I think sometimes we become insensitive to it because we either don't understand, or have a low tolerance for it. There is a program in a school district close to where I live that exposes children from kindergarten to college. This kind of program empowers people to break the cycle of poverty because someone believes they can. We need to always keep in mind ways we can encourage kids and families, and break the cycle of poverty.
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