I chose the country Mongolia from the alternative blog assignment because I have not had any feedback from my international contacts. The insights that I gained from the sight is that Mongolia transitioned in 1990 to a majority of democrats and is now joined with the World Trade Organization. The sudden change caused the economy in Mongolia to go downhill. Families were put out of work and could not afford the necessities to take care of their family. The services and resources for needy families and children were limited due to the job cuts. There was a economic turnaround in 1995 but not enough to regain the financial support for families and children. Since the overturn of the economy and positive regain, families are still without quality healthcare or education or jobs. There are more than 35% of the population below the poverty level and children ranging from newborn to age 16 that are living in poverty with single mothers. These children are taking on responsibilities as adults at home, which are causing many of the issues in the education field. The children are not able to attend school due to their responsibilities of trying to survive at any means necessary. The children are forced into the streets at an early age (Children Poverty Research and Policy Centre, 2012).
The main thing that I learned is that the economy and financial stability all play a key role in a child’s life, family structure and poverty level. I cannot imagine that if my husband and I lose our jobs and the state did not have many jobs to offer, what we would do to stay afloat for our children. It is something to really think about because no one really knows what is ahead and we have to think about our children’s future. This is why I believe that a quality education along with experience, contacts and other resources will help to rebound from a transforming economy.
Reference
Children Poverty Research and Policy Centre. (2012). Mongolia. Transition and Poverty. Retrieved on January 21, 2012 from http://www.childhoodpoverty.org
Tammie,
ReplyDeleteHow interesting that children in Mongolia are forced into the streets yet in India (the country I researched), many children are forced to work rather than attend school (Children Poverty Research and Policy Centre, 2012). It is so sad to me that these things can happen to the youth. I wish there were more organizations in these International countries that could help with the problems. India has 3 programs dedicated to helping families in poverty, but because of the large numbers (over 1 billion!) of people living there, it is going to take a long time for India to be able to serve everyone.
Did the research you read mention the population of Mongolia?
I also read about Mongolia, but chose to write out Kyrgyzstan. They were both very similar in the paths they chose to change from a socialist country to one with a free economy. That change is a very slow process and many children and families suffer in the process. It doesn't seem right, but then living in a socialist economy isn't great either. Makes me appreciate the United States.
ReplyDeleteHi Tammie!
ReplyDeleteExcellent article on Mongolia. As I read the blogs of our classmates, I am noticing a trend with children taking on adult responsibilities. It seems as if children are forced to give up being... children so that they may work and contribute to the survival of the family. That is a huge responsibility to place on a child. This was a very difficult blog assignment for me because it really tugged at my heart to know that so many children all over the world are living in dire conditions.
Thanks for sharing,
Tameka