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Friday, May 18, 2012


Week 3~ Blog Assignment: Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 1
~World Forum Podcast~ India and Belize~ 
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/current-work/world-forum-radio/

Deevia Bhana is Professor of Education at the University of KwaZulu – Natal in South Africa. In her doctoral dissertation she explored the constructions of gender and childhood sexuality. Her current interests include gender and early childhood sexualities, violence and youth, and HIV/AIDS education. The myth in this country regarding children and HIV/Aids is that having sex with young girls will cure HIV/Aids. Children experience fear and they run away from home and often do not want to walk alone. Academia and Practitioners need to work together to bring about social change.  


Delfena Mitchell is Director of the Liberty Children’s Home, on the outskirts of Belize City. Her program opened in the summer of 2005 and is licensed up to 40 children, predominantly between Zero to 5 years of age. Older children that have younger siblings in care are welcomed.
All of the children at the care center have been abandoned, neglected, abused or orphaned and many have disabilities, special needs or HIV positive. Further information on this program is available at www.libertyfoundation.org.uk

Poverty in Belize:
Poverty in Belize is extensive, persistent and widespread. 39% of Belizean children live below the poverty line. This means two out of every five Belizean children do not have their basic food and non food needs met.
Director’s Name and Address: Liberty Children’s Home- Stork Street Ladyville, Belize District, Belize, Central America. Marcelle Delahaye, CEO and Founder; and Gemma Delahaye, Chief Operations Officer.

belize@libertyfoundation.org.uk
marcelle@libertyfoundation.org.uk
gemma@libertyfoundation.org.uk
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Childhood poverty in India
An estimated 400 million of the population are between 0-18 years.  Almost half of all children (about 62 million) under the age of five are malnourished and 34 percent of new-borns are underweight. Important achievements have been made in health and education. The enrollment of primary school-aged children rose from 68 percent in 1992/1993 to 82 percent at the end of the decade. But India still accounts for 20 per cent of the world's out-of-school children. It has the largest numbers of working children in the world.
There are stark inequalities in child wellbeing based on gender, class and caste. Despite efforts of civil society and government, gender biases continue to pervade all aspects of life and particularly limit girls' life chances. The cycle of disadvantage starts at birth and continues through childhood to motherhood and the next generation. Retrieved on May 18, 2012. http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=countryo


2 comments:

  1. Nancy, thank you for sharing some powerful stories. Your contacts are quite valuable, and I appreciate your sharing with us. The fear that these children must feel is evident in the words of your contacts. I find it difficult to comprehend the poverty children are living in, and yet, the fear in their hearts (and throughout their daily existance) just seems out of my relm of beliefs. I had tears in my eyes reading of your learning.
    I, also, contacted an individual living in India, but her thoughts are quite a bit different. Although she spoke about poverty, the word "fear" never came up. I think she works in an area where life is "easier" for the children who attend the school where she is director.
    I look forward to sharing more and learning from each other.

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  2. Nancy,

    Reading the poverty level for children in India is astounding. 50%! That is crazy to me! It is also sad that social injustices continue to be made based upon gender. Your stories hit hard! Thank you for sharing!

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