I’m here.
Writing in a desk, scribbling broken words on paper, inside a building with a roof – sheltering me from the forces of nature.
I’m here.
Waking up every morning, from bed to a warm shower – as my family sets the breakfast table.
I’m here.
Walking to school without a care in the world of what going around me- instead, my only hope is for the bus to come on time.
I’m here.
Wondering how my day will go and what my mom has packed me for lunch – without the thought that there might not be a tomorrow for me to be in.
I’m here,
and I’m safe.
But there are, some in this world, who are not – safe.
Those who don’t have a desk to write on, forced to endure the blazing heat of the sun’s rays.
Those who wake up every morning at 4 a.m. – and prepare themselves for the physical labor they’ll have to endure for the next 10 hours .
Those who have been rejected the opportunity to education by their circumstance and unmerciful reality.
Those who wonder if they’ll be able to find drinkable water to suppress the urge of hunger that has become their shadow.
These kids they hope to live to see tomorrow
They might have the same dreams and aspirations, they are probably the same age, and may have the same name as myself.
But the difference between them and myself
Is that I’m safe,
and they are not.
-Kiran Parmar.
There is this whole other world that exists among the age of progression and increased globalization, yet that side of the world hasn’t even experienced the latest developments and advancements as other nations continue to do on a daily basis. Everyday in these third world nations, children are left undernourished, as their parents face difficulties on a daily basis to provide the best for their kids. However, due to lack of economic wealth and prosperity being distributed within these nations, families are forced to take in job that include physical labor, long hour shifts, and sometimes under the intense heat of the sun. Let alone education, children are being denied rights as they are forced into child labor to provide for their families, which includes tolerating physical and sexual abuse. As a result, these kids continue to endure the pain and the idea of never having enough in their life becomes imprinted on their identity.
“It’s easier to get free wifi in the United States than it is to get free water in third world countries and people act like nothing is wrong with the world.”
Having to walk on a path that only the soles of a pair of shoes can protect these children, from the bruising and scars of the sharp rocks cutting into their feet, has become an ongoing struggle for survival for these innocent lives. Today in our world, there are nearly 2.2 billion children living; and from these 2.2 billion children, about 2 billion of them are living in developing countries and in poverty. As a result these children are receiving a quality of life that doesn’t meet their basic standard of living that are needed to sustain oneself in the 21st century. The pain and struggle is evident in their eyes as their eyes have become mirrors to the adversities and traumatic experiences they continue to endure on a daily basis. Having to endure hunger, thirst, and the feeling of insufficiency has a major impact on these kids who are unable to live their childhood like a normal child. Jumping on a trampoline after school, running through the sprinkler on a hot sunny day, having hot chocolate on a cold winter morning. They have never gotten this opportunity; they’re circumstances hold them back. But there is one more thing that forbids these children to live, and that is the cruel enemy known as disease.
“I think we all want justice and equality, a chance for a life with meaning. All of us have to believe that if we were in a bad situation someone would help us.”
-Angelina Jolie
Disease has become one of the most fatal and strongest enemy of children who reside in African countries, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Haiti, India, Brazil, Cuba, and many more nations around the world. Diseases such as Measles, Tetanus, Polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b, Yellow fever, Hepatitis B, Rotavirus are most prominent in children younger than age 5 as well as in newborns. Although these diseases are present in first world countries as well, developing countries account for 95% of global aid prevalence. This demonstrates how nations’ economic struggles are impacting the future generations of their country, since they don’t have the means to provide medical assistance to families who are in desperate need of them. This brings out the bigger picture of the real struggle which is: that if a country is depending upon on assistance from those who have access to amenities they require, they will continue to go downhill until everyone collectively comes together to solve this underlying issue.
The children, they are in pain everyday. These deadly diseases continue to consume their childhood, steal their smiles, and take away their chance to a better life. Instead these illnesses bring in immense agony, as it hurts to wake up every morning to intense pressure on their fragile bodies. They suffer and have to wait for death to take them away. They can’t do anything about it other than wait and tolerate the consequences of their reality. Like what Eli Khamorav says “Poverty is like a punishment for a crime you didn’t commit.” And the victims, unfortunately, are children in third world nations with families who simply do not have the money to treat their sick kids.
Unfortunately, newborns struggle the most; since about 2.6 million babies die in their first year alone according to the unfortunate data reviewed in 2016. Moreover, of these 2.6 million infants, 50% pass away in their first 24 hours and 75% pass during their first week.
According to UNICEF (United Nations Children Fund) “More than 30 million children are unimmunized either because vaccines are unavailable, because health services are poorly provided or inaccessible, or because families are uninformed or misinformed about when and why to bring their children for immunization.” Furthermore, as of 2016 about 5.6 million children under the age of 5 years died, which therefore translates into 15 000 under-five deaths per day. And more than half of these deaths could’ve been prevented or treated if they had access to simple and affordable medical intervention. These may seem just stats to all the readers, but to these families they have lost one of their own and mothers have lost a part of themselves. This is a bigger issue, and something we can no longer ignore.
Some simple factors that will aid in reducing, as well as preventing, these mortality rates and saving these innocent lives are:
- Vaccinations
- Safe water and food
- Reduction of household air pollution
- Sanitation and hygiene
- Adequate nutrition
What I want to also mention is that the hard work of organizations such as UNICEF, UNDP, WHO, the Red Cross, doctor’s without borders, and many more NGO’s and IGO’s all have had a substantial impact in improving lives of all (seniors, teens, mothers, fathers, children) in developing nations. For instance, since the 1990, the global under-5 mortality rate has dropped 56% – 15 000 deaths every day in 2016, compared with 35 000 in 1990. Although this is a huge accomplishment, there are still 15 000 children experiencing chronic pain and suffering. And we should all work together to end this adversity, in order to have a complete victory.
*The links to donate to these organization are listen down below. Also all donations go to help get these children and their families have a brighter future, warm food, fresh water, vaccines, and education.*
As a kid I was brought up in one of the finest countries that I believe exists in the world, Canada. I had access to health care, fresh and clean water, education, healthy foods, vitamins, and all other necessities one has a right to in their life. At the time I didn’t consider myself lucky or anything, in fact I didn’t even think about ideas like that. I knew that there were others who were “poor” and “sick” but I didn’t really understand that until I took a trip across the world to a nation, known as the largest democracy as well as also home to most of the poverty existing in the world, India.
I remember going to India when I was about 7 years old. We had gone shopping one day, to one of the largest cities in Punjab – Amritsar. I got out of the car and stepped onto a busy street with my parents’ having a tight grip around my hands, and from the corner of my eye I see another child riding a skateboard sitting down. Initially I thought that he didn’t know how to ride a skateboard – the thought of that left me so surprised- and my eyes were fixed onto him. As my parents and I walk past him I saw something, something that I couldn’t forget even after these 10 days. He was sitting down on the skateboard, wherehe used his hands to push himself to move since he didn’t have any legs. Even now going back to that memory brings tears to my eyes as I still remember him holding his hands out that were covered with blisters, begging for money. I stared at him for a while, surprised that he was still alive, and then pointed him out to my dad, I asked for money so I could give it to him. Without giving me a response, my dad walked up to the boy and asked if he was hungry and tears started to run down the boy’s cheek he smiled and said, “Thank you for noticing me.”
It’s been a decade since this has occurred, and I knew that I now had a responsibility to help children and families who were left unnoticed for years. This experience translates to what my aspiration in life is which is to help provide medical attention to those who simply can’t afford that right of theirs. I’ve recognized that I have an opportunity to help someone see their future and I have an opportunity to put smiles on faces that are used to frowns. I have that opportunity and I’m going to take it.
In our society, we can’t live without our phones, laptops, coffee, tea, music, healthy protein shakes, pay per view, shopping, heating, and many more that are considered luxuries by these kids and their families. We dream to earn millions and have huge houses, latest shoes, and nice cars that just scream a high social status. But what these families dream is of our lives. They wish to have a house that has electricity running through it. They aspire to have jobs that doesn’t take advantage of their weaknesses. They desire to have a life that can meet their needs. We wish to have the lives of others, but has the thought of someone wanting to live a life like yours ever come across? Acknowledge it.Think about it. Understand it.
“As the wealthiest nation on Earth, I believe the United States has the moral obligation to lead the fight against hunger and malnutrition, and to partner with others.”
-Barack Obama.
Online Donations:
- UNICEF: secure.unicef.ca
- Red Cross: redcross.ca/donate
- The water project: thewaterproject.org
Sources:
Quimba, Paul . “Medium.com.” Medium.com, 15 Mar. 2016,https://medium.com/@stenivan/stop-giving-money-to-the-poor-1f113989af85
“Www.retailnews.asia.” Www.retailnews.asia, 25 May 2016, https://www.retailnews.asia/child-labour-used-indonesian-tobacco-production-says-ngo/
“Children gif.” Giphy.com, Www.collegetimes.com, 14 Sept. 2016,https://giphy.com/gifs/children-mt7fKoBvzALwk
“Children: Reducing Mortality.” Www.who.int, United Nations, Oct.2017,http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs178/en/
“What are the key health dangers for children?” WHO, World Health Organization,http://www.who.int/features/qa/13/en/
“Childhood Diseases in Africa.” WHO, World Health Organization/UnitedNations,http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs109/en/
“Funds, Programmes, Specialized Agencies and Others.” United Nations, United Nations, http://www.un.org/en/sections/about-un/funds-programmes-specialized-agencies-and-others/.
tes.marykern17. “Children in Third World Countries.” Login, tes.marykern17, https://create.piktochart.com/output/1296864-infographic
“UNICEF on Vaccines.” Www.pinterest.ca, https://www.pinterest.ca/suttonfiona/school-unicef-vaccines-assembly/