Impacts on Early Emotional Development

I chose to explore the area of Afghanistan; I wanted to learn about children living in this region.Here is a detailed list of the challenges that children in Afghanistan face:
Child Protection:  Political conflicts in Afghanistan have eroded the physical and social fabric of Afghanistan and continue to impact the lives of children by hampering their access to school and basic services, exposing them to increased violence and abuses and jeopardizing their very survival (unicef.org)

 

Education in Afghanistan: The people of Afghanistan have been living in a protracted state of conflict and instability for three decades. In addition to uncertain security, the extreme mountain terrain and harsh climate make it difficult to access education especially for girls. Under the Taliban regime violence and intimidation were routinely used to prevent girls and women from attending school and gaining the education that is their right (Unicef.org)

 

Child Health in Afghanistan: Afghanistan has the second highest rate of under-five mortality in the world, with thousands of children dying every year. Many of these deaths are the result of vaccine preventable diseases, including polio and measles, the lack of clean water and sanitation which directly impacts nutrition and limited access to medical care. In addition to the high mortality rate, Afghanistan also has the highest rates of stunting in the world. Stunting is primarily caused by mothers’ poor nutrition during pregnancy and repeated episodes of infectious diseases in a child’s early years. Children who suffer from stunting lack the necessary nutrients for their bodies to develop properly, meaning they will not grow to their full size, often ending up smaller and facing greater risk of death during childhood or reduced productivity in adulthood. Reduced food security of families due to destruction of crops during natural disasters, combined with the burden of infectious diseases, is increasing the rate of acute malnutrition in the country - which is now double the rate of 2004 (Unicef.org)

Polio: Polio has devastating effects on infants and young children and can result in chronic health problems, paralysis, stunting and premature death.
As a result of intensive worldwide efforts to eradicate the disease, Afghanistan is now one of only four countries where the disease remains endemic, the others being Nigeria, India and Pakistan (Unicef.org)

Wash: Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene: Ongoing conflict in Afghanistan has impeded the development of infrastructure throughout the country, resulting in many communities not being able to develop quality water sources. The lack of clean water and poor sanitation result in exposure to water-borne illnesses, including diarrhea, claiming the lives of an estimated 85,000 children a year (Unicef .org)

I learned a lot about Afghanistan. The issues that we have in the US are totally different than the issues elsewhere in the world. Here, we worry about extracurricular activities, about teaching the right curriculum to our students, and about educating the whole child. In Afghanistan for example, I noticed that professionals have different types of issues to worry about. Most children didn’t even have the basic nutrition or clean water in order to survive. Children in Afghanistan face so many challenges that do not only affect their emotional but also their physical and mental development. Unfortunately, all what I can do is advocate for these children and raise awareness of the issues facing these children. As an anti bias educator, I believe it is our responsibility to teach my students about other children from other parts of the world to raise their awareness for these issues and at the same time to help them to respect and appreciate others.

 

 Resources:

 

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html.