Children

MOZAMBIQUE: HIV-positive children still not getting treated ‘
According to provincial data, more than 15,000 children are living with HIV, but only 2,000 of them - 13 percent - are being treated, an extremely low percentage compared to HIV-positive adults: more than half the women who need treatment, and 42 percent of the men, are receiving it.’ Why, are so few children treated? The reasons are as varried as they are complex; often parents are fearful of the stigma, children’s antroviral medicines are more expensive and more complex to administer, and there is a sortage of medical staff and support.

BURKINA FASO: Fistula in Sahel region highlighted
‘According to the government’s statistics, there were just 54 cases of fistula in Burkina Faso in 2007. But Aboubakar Coulibaly, a doctor in the national health system, said “Cases are being under-reported.”’, especially in the Sahel region, mainly due to the social stigma of the condition. Fistula, a tearing between the rectum and vagina or the bladder and vagina, is primarily caused by violent rape, pregnancy and labour in young children, and prolonged obstructed labour.

ZAMBIA: Mary Muyunda, “The school should be a safe place for all the pupils”
In a landmark ruling last month Zambia’s High Court, ordered the government to pay some $13,000 compensation to a 15-year-old school girl raped by her teacher, after she brought a civil action against the teacher, the school and the minister of education. ‘The judge also ordered that the Director of Public Prosecutions commence criminal proceedings against the teacher, as the evidence of rape was “overwhelming”. The teacher was arrested, but subsequently released on bail.’

LAOS: Restaurant provides street children with training and hope
‘In one of the first projects of its kind, Friends International started up Mak Phet restaurant to provide vocational training for former street children, with the support of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, in Vientiane, Lao PDR. It is unknown how many children live or work on the streets of Laos. This is partly because the problem was not recognised officially by the government until recently. Often the children were rounded up, returned home or put into detention centres.’

ISRAEL-OPT: Married but without rights
A 2002 temporary order preventing those Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip from marrying Israeli citizens and residents, and thus moving to Israel, has now become law. The decission has left ’some 15,000 Palestinians who married Israeli citizens in the past decade are illegal or temporary residents’, leaving families physically divided and often unable to support thier children, and leaving an inevitable cloud of uncertanty hanging over the entire family.

LEBANON: Displaced families struggle on both sides of sectarian divide
‘Officials say up to 6,000 families have been displaced, but as of 30 July only those 700 Sunni families from Bab al-Tabbaneh who have found shelter in schools have been formally registered. “Nobody is looking after them. There are many children and they lack the basic everyday needs; food, clothing, medicine,” said Marwan Husseiki, an officer with the UN’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF).’

BURUNDI: Human rights record “shows no improvement”
‘At least 400 people were killed in the first quarter of 2008, which indicates that Burundi’s human rights record has failed to improve this year, according to Iteka, a rights group. The group registered some 455 women and girl victims of rape, the majority younger than 12.’ Instances of rape and sexual violence are only rising in the country as a result of both social sitgmatization and impunity.

This week, 1-7 August 2008, is World Breastfeeding Week

In conjunction with the Olympics next August, WBW 2008 calls for greater support for mothers in achieving the gold standard of infant feeding: breastfeeding exclusively for six months, and providing appropriate complementary foods with continued breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond.

As every country sends its best athletes to compete at these global games, it is important to remind ourselves that, in a similar fashion, a healthy young athlete can only emerge from a healthy start on life. There is no question that optimal infant and young child feeding is essential for optimal growth and development.

Supporting Mother = Supporting Her to Provide the Golden Start For Every Child !

In the wake of rising food prices and soaring malnutrition the need to promote breast feeding has never been greater. While the health benefits of breastfeeding have long since been getting the spotlight in campaigns, a new ali in the battle to see that breastfeeding is key in a child’s early nutritional development is increasing malnutrition and growing food prices. First of all in a climate of nothing other than continually rising prices, breast milk is the one staple that is free.

Large numbers of infants are suffering serious bouts of diarrhea, and in some cases dying, from infant formula provided in emergency situations. Therefore all UN agencies, aid groups, and governments are being urged to ensure women are not automatically given infant formula during emergency situations, and are encouraged to breast-feed.

In recent news the plight of malnourished children across the globe have been highlighted in an effort to increase the participation of women in breastfeeding, as one of the main weapons in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.

In Ethiopia Soaring malnutrition hits children hardest, as there are an some 126,000 children in need of urgent treatment for severe malnutrition, mostly of which are in the impoverished, drought-prone districts of the country.

Breast is best, even for mothers with HIV, as antiretroviral treatments (ART) grately reduced the transmition of the HIV virus from mother to child from breastfeeding.

“HIV-positive mothers on ART lower the risk of transmission through breastfeeding from 20 [percent] to five percent,” said Linda Beyer, an official in charge of Nutrition and HIV/AIDS at the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

In Indonesia Child malnutrition aggravated by food, oil price rises, however Anne Vincent, head of the UN Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF’s) health and nutrition section in Indonesia, said she was”appalled” by eating habits in Indonesia.

“Sometimes they give their children only rice with water. Kids don’t grow on that.”

These ‘bad habits, mixed with a large decline in breastfeeding has lead to the main cause of the country’s high mortality rate, according to Vincent.  Please also see, Diarrhoea takes deadly toll on toddlers consuming infant formula, on how substituting breast milk has often lead to disastrous consequences.

“The lives of 30,000 children could be saved [annually] if mothers breastfed their babies exclusively for the first six months.”

In Yemen a breastfeeding campaign urgently needed according to UNICEF. Nassem Ur-Rehman, chief communications and information officer at UNICEF’s Sanaa office, said nearly half of Yemen’s under-fives were malnourished:

“The health of small children is bad and getting worse. A breastfeeding campaign is urgently needed.”

Ur-Rehman stated that some 84,000 infants die from diseases such as diarrhea, which is the leading cause of death and pneumonia, each year, and that breastfeeding could help reduce such hid mortality rates. Dhekra Annuzaili, UNICEF’s nutrition programme officer, said that “exclusive breastfeeding” has decreased and claimed that both Doctors and the media were not doing enough to promote breastfeeding.

It is apparent that around the globe awareness on the benefits to the long-term health of a child through breastfeeding out way most risks and the preconceived inconveniences, especially as food prices and malnutrition soar, the the economic benefits are becoming almost as necessary as the health benefits. It is blatantly obvious that campaigns to promote and educate families on the benefits of breastfeeding must be put into place by both government and non-government bodies alike.


See other related posts including;
New Hope For Decreasing Mother to Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS
The first 2 years of life are vital for children, but For 3.5 million it has been a miss
Is Breastfeeding heading for extinction in the Philippines?
Millions of Children Needlessly Dying from Preventable Disease
Infant’s Rights to Nutrition

Ex-Oprah school matron pleads not guilty in South Africa on Tuesday, July 29, 2008. Virginia Mokgobo, 27, arrested in November and out on bail, is facing charges relating to common assault, harassment and soliciting a minor to perform indecent acts and verbal abuse.

Pillay confirmed as human rights chief
The UN General Assembly unanimously confirmed the nomination of South African judge Navanethem Pillay as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Chinese teacher heads for re-education over earthquake efforts
A Chinese teacher has been sentenced to one year in a labor re-education camp for taking photos of schools that collapsed in May’s devastating earthquake, Human Rights in China said Wednesday. Liu Shaokun was charged with “inciting a disturbance” after posting his photographs on the Internet.

Ambitious family planning goals
Madagascar, has doubled in the last 25 years, reaching 19.6 million in 2007, according to the UN, and is expected to hit 43.5 million by 2050. In some parts of the country 70% of 16-year-old girls have already given birth to their first child. The Madagascar Action Plan (MAP), has set two ambitious goals: reducing the average size of the Malagasy family and comprehensively meeting the demand for contraceptives and family planning, by making contraceptives more widely available, providing educational programs and reducing unwanted teenage pregnancies.

More education equals less teen pregnancy and HIV
Keeping Kenyan girls in school and ensuring they have access to HIV and sex education has a dramatic effect on lowering future levels of HIV, according to experts.

Women, non-Lebanese children get raw deal
Thousands of children in Lebanon are denied full access to education, healthcare and residency because they do not have Lebanese citizenship. Lebanese women cannot pass on their nationality to their children and in the event of separation, it is the father who gains automatic custody, according to Lebanese nationality law.

“In music, a call and response is a succession of two distinct phrases usually played by different musicians, where the second phrase is heard as a direct commentary on or response to the first. It corresponds to the call-and-response pattern in human communication and is found in many traditions.”

Last night just outside DC in Arlington, Virginia music and activism merged to united to bring a fresh face to the movement against modern slavery. The theater was abuzz with excitement, as government officials, NGO’s, activists, concerned citizens and music lovers alike to their seats to see and hear Call + Response

Call+Response is a groundbreaking documentary, or should one say rockumentary, that exposes the world’s most terrifying secret: there are more slaves today than ever before in human history. 27 million human lives, the majority women and children, have become modern disposable commodities, leaving slavery as the forefront of the worlds human rights violations, and ceasing to leave the slave trade in history as so many have come to believe that is where it remains.

The Rocumentary and the ever growing modern abolitionist movement includes the support of Grammy-winning and critically acclaimed artists including; Moby, Natasha Bedingfield, Cold War Kids, Matisyahu, Imogen Heap, Talib Kweli, Five For Fighting, Switchfoot, members of Nickel Creek, Rocco Deluca, each artist contributing their art and inspiration to form a collection of modern abolitionist songs. The music combines with testimony and vision from leading experts in the field such as Kevin Bales of Free the Slaves, Gary H of IJM, Groundbreaking journalist Nickolas Kristoff, and celebrity activists such as Ashley Judd and Julia Ormond.

The footage begins with the rough and somewhat grainy images inside the world of child sex slavery, as the haunting words of “boom, boom“, and “yum, yum”, then you are effortlessly transcended into an artsy rock video. Call + Response goes from hardcore reality to art activism, intertwining and steamily flowing together . Creator Justin Dillon’s song, “Baby Blue”, was inspired by a 12 year old girl who was being prostituted, which he met who was locked in her room, which resembled more of a prison cell. Dillon said he wished the girl could write a song on a piece of paper and fold it into a paper airplane and throw it from her window onto the street for someone to hear, the song is now dedicated to all the girls enslaved in the seedy world of sex trafficking.

Following the showing Justin Dillon, who produced and directed the film, took the stage to share how he heard the call. Dillon heard the call loud and clear and his response was music, Justin took what he knew how to do and turned it into music activism, inciting others to do the same. But Dillon didn’t just inspire those in the music industry to respond to the call, he is helping a new generation to hear the call and find their individual response.

Do you know what is happening in your neighborhood, what is happening next door? Slavery is not just in a distant land, it is everywhere, it effects everyone. Regardless of your talents and your resources, we all have a responsibility to not just hear the call but respond to the call, this can be done in infinite ways. We cannot just raise awareness, we must work for freedom and justice, and place an end to the impunity that has allowed human lives to be imprisoned by another for profit and greed.

The cost of freedom is relatively low, but it takes people power, it takes you and me to respond to the call of everyday people who have been enslaved. Your voice can be heard…it must be heard, for others to hear the 27 million voices that have been silenced by slavery. Injustice reigns only when we stand by and silently watch. So hear the call, even if it is just one voice you hear, hear it and hear it clearly. Do not let your silence contribute to the enslavement of millions, so not let your fear shackle you and respond to the call today.

100% of the profits of the film are going to fund global field projects on the front lines of this issue.

“I implore you to see with a child’s eyes, to hear with a child’s ears, and to feel with a child’s heart.”
- Antonio Novello, Doctor (1944- )


In order for us to see the world, and see it clearly one must see it from the view of a child. The perceived innocence of a child is often misconstrued as a lack of knowledge or incite, when in reality it is openness and a fresh perspective on what adults can no longer see as time has clouded our vision and impaired our hearing.  To see peace in the future we must look to look out onto the world with an inquisitive eye, an open mind, a full heart, and learn to listen to the silence.  Never is it too late to look at the world or life from the eyes of a child.

A child in prison surely sounds like a superfluous statement, for unquestionably children do not belong in prison. The word prison is often synonymous with adult, yet sadly around the globe there are some 1 million children languishing in prisons, and most of these are not some special child prison or version of juvenile detention, but adult prisons.

According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child the imprisonment of a child to be used “only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time” and that the child “shall be treated with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the human person, and in a manner which takes into account the needs of persons of his or her age”.

Poverty and war often lead children to the streets and they therefore often find themselves embattled in a life of petty crime, sex trafficking, begging, etc. Life on the streets for many children quickly leads them to be placed behind bars, such as in the Philippines.

In many countries, women who are placed in prisons who have children for which they cannot find relatives to care for, are often forced to take their children with them. Children are then imprisoned along with their mothers, where they often lack access to any form of education. The lack of education on a child can be devastating and in turn create a cycle of poverty. Such a case reached the media in May when in Zambia, Kabwe Social Workers Rescue Five Children From Prison. The five children, who’s ages ranged from 5 months to 4 years old, where placed in the care of local social services after they where discovered in the dire conditions of the maximum security prison. However the case in Zambia mirrors that of many other countries such as Ethiopia, Sudan and many other countries.

The issue of children in prison, or detention centers, does not even escape western nations such as the US. As discussed in the post Child Detainees, An International Crime?, children detained at the Hutto, Texas, center. Hutto was again brought to light again only today in The New Yorker article, The Lost Children: What do tougher detention policies mean for illegal immigrant families?,

Children who are either placed in prison for their own perceived crimes and those who are placed in prison along side their mothers, are not the only children affected by what many see as systems failing families, including in the US as was brought to light this month in the article, Women, children suffer from harsh prison policies, on women in detention. Many states in the US are now looking at alternative solutions including prison nurseries, halfway houses, and other programs which help mothers and children foster healthier and more substantial relationships, in order to brake the cycle of prison life in the family.

The issue of children in prisons and detention centers is complex and varied, but one thing is clear, all of these children are being denied a fundamental right to childhood! The denial of freedom has led these children to be denied the rights to education, the right to play and thus the right to a healthy and happy existence.
See former posts on children in prison and search for other countries and recent articles, including;

• Brazil’s Penal System Shows It’s Lawlessness as A Young Girl is Raped For Weeks
• Child Detainees, An International Crime?
• Haiti’s Children’s Prison - 2005
• INSIDE THE CHILDREN’S PRISON IN ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA - 2002
• SUDAN: Women and children in prison
• Children in Conflict With the Law: What is Done, But Rarely Told - 2006
• DRC: Children “languishing in Ituri prisons”
• CAMEROON: Two months after riots, children remain in prison
• IRAQ: Child prisoners abused and tortured, say activists

Anyone can look sympathetically upon a photo of someone crying inside their burnt out house, and feel the pain and grief that one would have, but imagine when it is compounded by a whole village. Now add death and rape into the mix, and the images are even more haunting, the images are the reality of Sudan’s genocide in Darfur, and of an international failure to end the continued suffering that has left millions dying in the wake of the conflict.

Tonight in DC a book signing and awareness event was held for, Darfur: Twenty Years of War and Genocide in Sudan, with editor Leora Kahn, who was joined by Scott Edwards Sudan Country Specialist for Amnesty International USA. The book features the work of eight prominent photographers covering three periods in the Sudan crisis, including images from:

• 1988: During this year, an estimated 250,000Sudanese died of starvation;

• 1992 and 1995: These photos capture the atrocities of a civil war, when hundreds of thousands fled their homes to other destinations in Sudan or left the country altogether

• 2005 to present: These images bring to light the severity of the humanitarian crisis underway, with the Sudanese government and the Janjaweed militias committing systematic violence on the people of Darfur.

The book leaves one haunted by the images of hate, violence, suffering and death; while also leaving one moved by images of courage and hope.

The book is more than a collection of shocking and amazing images, the pages of this work of activism is more than just imagery, as the photos are complemented by the work of leading writers and activists. Contributing writers include Jonathan Alter, Newsweek and NBC News journalist; Larry Cox, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA; Mia Farrow, an award-winning actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2001; and John Prendergast, writer and Senior Adviser at the International Crisis Group.

However while books and events like this clearly have an impact, they are sadly not striking deep enough, as the continuous suffering and killing in Darfur rages on. As one who attends many events on Darfur can see many of faces and core group of activists, and while they are making an impact and needed. Just as the people of Darfur can no longer carry the burden of genocide, the activist fighting tirelessly to end the suffering in Sudan can no longer carry this burden alone. As an international community we are failing the people of Darfur, and it appears that we have yet to learn how to deal with genocide, as Sudan mirrors many past failings.

How can you learn more and get involved? Learn more about the U.S.’s Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act, and how at the Sudan Divestment Task Force. Join groups and campaigns such as; Save Darfur , Help Darfur Now, 24 Hours for Darfur, Darfur Peace and Development organization, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Amnesty International, Genocide Intervention Network, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and many others.

*All proceeds from the book will benefit the Genocide Intervention Network and Amnesty International USA.

Other eye opening images of the reality of Sudan can be found in The Devil Came on Horseback and Sand and Sorrow.
Please see previous posts such as; Sexual Assault and Rape Continue in Sudan, Despite Increased Aid Efforts We Are Still Failing the Children of Darfur, Attacks in Sudan Targeting Children, and The Children of Sudan.

Recent News on the Crisis in Darfur:

A report by the Darfur Consortium concludes that the UN-African Union peacekeeping mission is near to failing and has done no more since January to bring peace and stability to Darfur than its predecessor mission did (The Guardian (London)).

Sudanese diplomats have advanced on more than a dozen countries, both allies and enemies, in an aggressive charm offensive. Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir himself visited Darfur for the first time in a year, promising aid, commiserating over losses endured by the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission, and demonizing the International Criminal Court and prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo. The public relations effort may be geared at convincing UN Security Council nations such as China and Russia, which have indicated they are sympathetic to the notion that an arrest would threaten the peacekeeping mission (Los Angeles Times, Financial Times, The New York Times).

Sudan’s leader indicted for war crimes, good or bad?

In the post Drug Trade Fuels Forced Marriages in Afghanistan, the looming drug culture was brought to attention, as the country drug market has only continued to fuel human rights violations and breed more suffering among the populous, especially children. A recent New York Times article written by Thomas Schweich, a former U.S. counternarcotics official, brought light to the issues as to why Afghanistan losing the battle against drugs. The main issue is that efforts to address Afghanistan’s massive poppy cultivation have been hampered by a seer lack of political will, as large scale corruption remains at every level of the Afghanistan’s political framework. Additionaly an absence of alternative solutions remain for local farmers, leaving them almost forced to continue poppy production. A multi-pronged strategy including pressure on Afghan President Hamid Karzai to cease protection of drug lords, more drug treatment centers and developmental rewards to provinces that become poppy free is needed.

Please also see the post The State of Afghanistan’s Children Almost Seven Years After the Invasion and The Struggle Continues for Afghanistan’s Children

In other news warnings that Afghan insecurity may result in humanitarian catastrophe
are being heard, as millions of Afghans are becoming increasingly insecure and slipping more and more into a state of imminent need. The increase of needy Afghans has increased with the rising attacks on aid workers, which is preventing aid deliveries and could lead to the possibility of a massive humanitarian crisis in the country, according to aid groups. So far this year alone 11 NGO employees have died in over 68 violent incidents involving aid agencies.

Burma (Myanmar) ratified a proposed international charter that includes controversial human rights provisions, a day after regional powers slammed the nation’s ruling junta for extending opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s detention. But question marks remain about whether Myanmar’s junta is willing to adhere to the principles of human rights and respect for rule of law enshrined in the charter. It was also unclear whether the proposed ASEAN human rights body, the details of which have yet to be hammered out, will have any substantive enforcement or monitoring power. (AP)

Sexual harassment of women in Egypt is on the increase and observing Islamic dress code is no deterrent, according to a survey published this week. The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights (ECWR) describes the problem as a social cancer and calls on the government to introduce legislation to curb it. The findings contradict the widely held belief in Egypt that unveiled women are more likely to suffer harassment than veiled ones. (BBC)

Some 150,000 children in Niger are set to benefit from a USD 1.2 million donation to the UN children’s fund (UNICEF) for school equipment from the charity Dubai Cares. Basic school kits will be supplied to children as part of the initiative, which will help increase the number of children enrolled in 600 schools around the country. In addition, the program will provide classroom furniture for 200 schools and building materials to construct 50 emergency learning centers. (UN News Service)

In Haiti children remain the target of kidnappings, killings, sexual violence and child trafficking, and they have also been active participants in recent public protests, the United Nations peacekeeping mission to the impoverished Caribbean country reports. The latest report from MINUSTAH, covering the period from January to July this year and released this week, found that children continue to be affected by armed violence, despite the general improvement in the security situation in Haiti. (UN News Service)

Anti-malaria medication will be available free to children and pregnant women in the Republic of Congo. Malaria kills some 21,000 children under five each year, the UN says. But Health Minister Emilienne Raoul warned that the medicines were for the sick, and must not end up for re-sale on the streets or in other countries. Correspondents say theft and re-sale of medicines is a major problem in Congo. Treatment for tuberculosis, one of the infections linked to HIV, is already free of charge in the country. TB, malaria and HIV/Aids are the three top killers in Congo. (BBC)

In Brazil police arrested a 14-year- old boy who allegedly confessed to killing 11 people while working for a gang of drug traffickers in southeastern Brazil, A Gazeta newspaper reported, citing police officials. Two other teenagers, both 17, were also arrested for belonging to the criminal gang, Danilo Bahiense, the police chief in Vitoria overseeing the investigation, told the city’s newspaper. An adult with a long criminal record and wanted for escaping from jail was also arrested, Gazeta reported. Bahiense told Gazeta that the teenagers were part of a drug gang that carried out homicides, kidnappings and robbery in the metropolitan area of Vitoria. (Bloomberg)

A trio of independent UN human rights experts have voiced concern about recent actions and proposed measures targeting the Roma community and migrants in Italy which they deem as discriminatory. The Special Rapporteur on racism, Doudou Diene, the Independent Expert on minority issues, Gay J. McDougall, and the Special Rapporteur on the Human rights of Migrants, Jorge Bustamante, said they were extremely concerned about the proposal made by the Ministry of Interior to fingerprint all Roma individuals, including children, in order to identify those undocumented persons living in Italy. (UN News Service)

The Jonas Brothers’ Change For The Children Foundation Chooses Nothing But Nets as a Partner in “YOU DECIDE — YOU DONATE” The United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign, a grassroots initiative to prevent malaria in Africa, announced today it is teaming up with the Jonas Brothers’ Change for the Children Foundation to engage young Americans in the fight against malaria, a leading killer in Africa. Nothing But Nets was chosen as one of five charities participating in “You Decide-You Donate,” an initiative of the Change for the Children Foundation. The Jonas Brothers, through their Foundation, will match the first $10,000 donated by their fans to each of the five participating charities, including Nothing But Nets, as part of their commitment to making a difference in the lives of children worldwide. Click here for more information from the United Nations Foundation.

“While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.” - Unknown

Children truly are the teachers of life, they teach us how to laugh, how to play, how to enjoy the simple things in life. When you are around children one finds it impossible not to smile, and why? Because children see the truth and beauty that surrounds them. Even in the face of darkness children easily find the light, as they seem to see so much more clearly and see past the suffering.

Watch a child today and learn how to live and see how to take from life what one should. More often we should not only hear the voices of youth, but look through the eyes of childhood, and then we can work to live in a world that is more at peace.