Having children is a blessing, although you might have to think twice about that the way some people treat their children. Of course, there are many factors that contribute to the issues that children face worldwide, but there can be no excuse for how maltreated some of them are.
You may be fortunate enough to have a fruitful life with children, or you may not be personally exposed to some of the horrors that minors experience in some parts of the world. That does not mean, however, that you cannot help in your own way to alleviate the horrific situations of these unfortunate souls.
Awareness is one key to solving this vast array of problems. To start with that, here are the top 5 issues that children face worldwide. I list them down in the hopes that goodhearted people who have the capability to extend a helping hand will be moved to do so.
Issues Children Face
Poverty
According to UNICEF, more than 30 percent of children in developing countries are poor; that is, they live on less than USD1 per day. In concrete numbers, that’s about 600 million children who do not even have a dollar to get three meals every single day! Think about that the next time you feel bad because your Starbucks coffee was not made to your exact liking.
Lack of Education
Going to school is taken for granted by many, but in countries like The Philippines, Cambodia, India, and Kenya, many children would go to great lengths to have the chance to get an education. Some walk miles and go to school without food. Some simply don’t go to school because that chance does not exist. Take a look at some figures presented by World-Children, and feel your heart break.
Child Labor
Worse than not being able to go to school, there are children who are forced to go to work so their families can have some food in their bellies. Child labor is defined as using individuals below 18 years old as part of the work force. According to the International Labour Organization, around 215 million children work around the world. They don’t go to school. They don’t have time to play. They just work, and many are not even paid for it!
Child Prostitution
As deplorable as the other issues are, I don’t think there is much worse than child prostitution. Thailand, The Philippines, and Vietnam are some countries which still have cases of child prostitution. While the governments and NGOs are working to abolish this practice, there are still unscrupulous individuals who get away with it.
Neglect
Street children or children who are left alone at home to fend for themselves – these, and more, are victims of neglect. The parents may be too busy with whatever work they are doing, or they are drug addicts who couldn’t care about anything but themselves. Whatever the reason, there are countless children who need the attention of their parents or caregivers, who can provide for their emotional and physical needs.
How You Can Help
There are countless ways you can help. Organizations such as UNICEF and Save the Children provide all the information that you need about children, the problems they face, and how you can help. World Vision focuses a lot on the education of children worldwide.
If you want to raise funds for specific causes to help children in your area, you can glean a lot of information from those organizations. Additionally, you can launch your own campaign online via Causera, a crowdfunding site. After all, it’s not only children in developing countries that can use help. There may be children in your own city who are just waiting for you to do something!