Getting to Know Your International Contacts: UNICEF and Haiti

Sadly, I have still been unable to establish contact with a ECE professional outside of the United States. However, I decided to use the UNICEF website to learn about poverty in a country I am interested in and that was Haiti.
Even before the big earthquake in Haiti, poverty was already at a high. Over 40% of the population is made up of children and youth under the age of 18. Due to the poverty levels and malnutrition an estimated 1in 6 children under the age of 5 with die.
 Malnutrition is just one of the challenges that the children and youth in Haiti face. Children and youth are exposed to violence, child sex trafficking , abuse and homelessness.
Due to the cost of education being high and most families unable to afford it only half child attend primary school and even less children attend secondary school. Because of the lack of education only about half of the adult population is literate. However, with the efforts of UNICEF andntje "Back to School Campaign" in 201170% of the children ages 6-18 are attending school and it has ensured education for 903,000 children.

Reading about poverty in Haiti makes my heart sad. These children are not getting a chance to be children. They are working as servants or looking over their shoulder for their own protection and safety. I found the type of poverty in Haiti almost as foreign as the country is to me. No child should have to live that way. Living in an environment lime that does not allow the child to reach their full.potential. also with only half the popation literate how can they progress? The help of UNICEF and other organization will help make a difference but it takes more than the outside working in. Work has to be done from the inside out.

Resource: www.unicef.org

Sharing Web Resources

National Black Child Development Institute ( www.nbcdi.org) is the organization that I have chosen to learn more about and add to my list of resources. This organization has been around for over 40 years but this is the first time I have learned of it and it has certainly peaked my interest.

The NBCDI is dedicated to the success and well-being of Black children birth through age eight. They work with not only the children but the families as well with the use of community-based, organizations, school systems and Head Start to name a few. Also, the NBCDI provides an effective voice to issues related to children of color in the education system, care, and health of both children and their families. 

There are three questions that help to shape the institutes public policy agenda:

1) Is this good for Black children and their families?

2) If yes, how can we support it?

3) If not, how can we make it better?

 

NBCDI uses these questions to help achieve their mission and to improve the quality of life for Black children and families. Their priority areas are as follows:

1) Empowering Parents, Engaging Communities

2) Improving Childcare and Teacher Quality

3) Ensuring Funding and Resource Equity

 

Though the NBCDI is geared primarily to working with Black children and their families there goals are aligned with what we have learned this week in regards to changing demographics and diversity. Essentially African Americans were considered to be the minority. However, they are now shifting to the majority. In order to provide quality childcare and education, teachers will need to be knowledgeable and ready for the changes. Quality childcare in the early years is dependent upon the teachers, the programs, understanding the current issues and the willingness to make changes to create better avenues in the early childhood field.





E-stablishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

For the start of this new course, Issues and Trends in Early Childhood, we were asked to establish contact with two professionals in the field outside of the United States. However, due to the high demands at work as we prepare for our upcoming federal review I was unable to do this step. I have chosen to forgo using the alternative assignment and work diligently on establishing contact this week. The second part of this blog assignment was amongst my favorite. We were given the chance to explore a different organization that we will become familiar with and learn something new about each week.
I chose to look into the National Black Child Developmental Institute. There were a few reasons that I chose this organization. The first reason was because I myself am a mother of two young Black boys and secondly because their goal is to improve life circumstances and develop Healthy black children . As not only a mother but an educator too I do not want my sons to be part of the statistic and the NBCDI is on a mission to make that change. The NBCDI has worked with black children and their families for the last 40 years providing parenting skills, knowledge and engaging in issues that directly impact Black children and their families.

 

Their mission "to improve and advance the quality of life for Black children and their families through education and advocacy".

 

 

I am very much looking forward to learning more about this organization and to see how their efforts have helped to change the lives of the children and families that they work with. Stay tuned as I will be sharing what I have learned a little each week.