I watched a video from
the World Forum Foundation this week called “The Leaders of Tomorrow”. This
video helped give me different insights from around the world. The video talked
about leaders and the qualities of a leader. Leaders need to be credible, honest,
intelligent, expressive, and forward looking. The video mentioned that by the
age of six, it is too late for interventions. I found this interesting. I also
learned that around the world, there are many common areas of need. These areas
include lack of awareness, funding, and quality teachers. These fit in with the
issues of equity and excellence. In Tanzia, Nigeria, and Haiti, children are
still struggling to get their basic needs met. They are dealing with
malnutrition, polluted air, and water. I
also learned that in China, Korea that children are losing time to play because
the focus is on the academics (World Forum Foundation, 2011). This is not any
different than what we are facing in the United States.
I reviewed the Harvard
University’s website this week. I started by looking at the different programs
that the organization was involved in. I reviewed the information on the Good
Start Project in Santiago, Chile. The program focused on language development,
health topics, and socioemotional areas of development. I then found an article
that I found very interesting information. The article was accessible under the
Zambian early childhood project. The Zambian project focuses on anti-malaria
initiative. I learned that Malaria still does not have a cure. I knew years ago
that there was not a cure but I thought there would be by now. In Zambia, the
leading cause of death is Malaria. HIV is the other cause of death in Zambia.
The country of Zambia determines if a child is healthy by whether or not their
growth is stunted. “Where you are at age 6, before you enter school, predicts
so many things in your life, and yet we have no way of comparing one country to
another” (Gunther Fink, 2011).
References
Harvard
University’s Global Children’s Initiative. (2014). Creating a new measure of
child development. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/faculty_and_staff/faculty/faculty_spotlights/faculty_spotlight_fink/
World
Forum Foundation. (2011). The leaders of tomorrow. http://worldforumfoundation.org/media-and-resources/wofo-tv/
Crystal the Anglican Church in Zambia has today launched its early childhood development (ECD) programme in Eastern Zambia to “provide integrated services that address the child holistically in terms of health, nutrition, protection and education. The launch was held in one of Zambia’s rural constituencies called Msanzala in the Anglican diocese of Eastern Zambia. In attendance were government officials, all bishops from Zambia including the Archbishop of the Church of the Province of Central Africa, the Most Rev. Albert Chama. Others attendees included the local area traditional Chief and representatives from UNICEF.
ReplyDeleteThey are focusing on children who are 0-6 years so that their health is good and minds stimulated to learn. Despite overwhelming evidence that early childhood education is a critical requirement for the later social and intellectual growth of the child, only 2 per cent of Zambian children have access to early childhood education. The programme, involving over 8,000 children under five years and their caregivers, tries to address the multiple deprivations in terms of health, nutrition, protection, and early stimulation, which combine to affect their cognitive, language, social-emotional and physical development during the critical formative period.
Resources:
http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2014/02/zambia-anglicans-launch-early-childhood-development-programme.aspx
Crystal,
ReplyDeleteI found what you posted to be very interesting. My international contact is in South Korea and the difference from that country to the USA is just jaw dropping. However, it appears that in most of the countries things are very different from here and priorities are too. I can't imagine saying to a six year old that your whole life is figured out for you when you are six. Saying that cuts down so much on human potential and the will to prosper.- Jolene Hernandez-Romero
It is hard to imagine how to implement quality education in countries where there are struggles for mere survival,battling disease, malnutrition and war. My friend was in the Peace Corps recently in Africa and he told me how each individual in the town he lived in accepted death as a daily possibility but still lived with joy and shared everything they had. Perhaps if quality centers could be established that also provided healthy meals and perhaps included a clinic we could begin to meet the needs of children in such areas. It is hard to imagine local governments carrying this out however, it seems it would take a great humanitarian effort.
ReplyDeleteHey Crystal,
ReplyDeleteGreat post...I watched the video and it was very interesting. I believe that leaders should have many qualities. Leaders should be honest, communication skills, have a sense of humor, commitment, a positive attitude, and many other important qualities.
There are many countries that are struggling to get children basic needs met. Children and their families are living in poverty all around the world. They are in need of food, water, shelter, and other important necessities. Poverty has an effect on life expectancy in Zambia. Zambia has the lowest life expectancy in the world which is 36 years old. This number has been declining in the past decade.
Crystal,
ReplyDeleteI find it unfortunate that children are having their play time taken away in other countries as well since academics come first. Children learn so much through interacting with one another during play times.
Hi Crystal
ReplyDeleteI also wrote about Zambia I was amazed that they is not cure for malaria. I was also glad to see that they children death have decrease by 30 percent . Thank you for sharing