The early years of a child is very
important as it lays the foundation for healthy development and growth or
otherwise of that child. For example, if a child experience neglect, inadequate
medication /health care, and imbalanced nutrition from age 0 to age 6, the
child stands the risk of having an increase in overall poor physical health as
well as having the potential to develop permanent physical disabilities.
Research on early childhood has underscored the impact of the first five years
of a child’s life on his/her social-emotional development, negative early
experiences can impair children’s mental health and effect their cognitive,
behavioral, social-emotional development (Cooper, Masi,& Vick, 2009). What
happens to a child in early childhood (socially, emotionally, and physically) matters
and can influence the child’s development later in life.
For my blog post this week with the
above heading, I explored Middle East & North Africa Region and
specifically took interest in Syria as a country. My choice of Syria is
deliberate. I live and work in a country very close to Syria and with the
situation presently in Syria we’ve had an influx of children from Syria, not
necessarily Syrian children but also children from other nations whose parents
are relocating from Syria joining my school. It will be a useful learning
experience for me to know and gain a deeper understanding of what children in
Syria are going through and having an understanding of how these is affecting
them will be of great help to my teaching and classroom relationship with these
lovely children
The war that has been going in Syria
constitutes the major challenge that children faced in that country. Schools
are being attacked and even when other places are attacked, children are the more
vulnerable and the major victims. As recent as April 29th this year mortar
attacks at Al-Shaghour, a suburb of Damascus killed 14 children and left more
than 80 other children seriously injured. That same day two other incidents, another
mortar attack and a car bomb, caused the death of more than 100 people with the
majority being children and women. According to Maria Calivis, UNICEF Regional
Director for the Middle East and North Africa, every day, across Syria,
children who are simply trying to go about their everyday lives are being
killed and maimed by indiscriminate attacks on populated areas. Youssouf
Abdel-Jelil, the country’s UN representative recent statement on the situation
is both revealing and a wake-up call, he said, “The children of Syria continue
to pay the heaviest price of the conflict. The recent escalation of attacks
makes this cost unbearable.”
Another issue that is affecting children
in Syria is scarcity of safe water. “The scarcity of safe water-adding to the
impact of the ongoing conflict and the intense summer heat-raises the real risk
of more population displacement and the spread of disease among vulnerable
children.” Maria Calivis. A desert country, Syria is experiencing her worst
drought in about 50 years with lowest levels of rainfall. This situation is
having a serious effect on more than 4 million children by putting their lives
in greater risk than the war.
What children suffer both during war and
after war can be devastating. When the war is going on children are being
killed, maimed, displaced with some even recruited as soldiers thereby
damaging, permanently, the kind, innocent and empathetic nature of the child in
them. The psychological effects of the war linger on with children even after
the battle is over, many children will be unable to forge healthy relationships
and some will turn to alcohol or drug misuse as a coping mechanism. Yet, the
gravest effects of war on children is that it disrupt their healthy development
by disrupting and destroying their education and also by removing and sometimes
completely destroying supportive, caring and responsive relationships meant for
their healthy growth and development.
The insight I gained based on the
information I got from my exploration this week will go a long way in helping
me to provide necessary and effective support for children that recently came
from Syria to join my class. I realized and now understand why one of the
students always wanted to discuss issues about what is going on in Syria even
at that young age (5). I have resolved that I will encourage her and others to
discuss their feelings, concerns and the experiences they have regarding the
situation in Syria. I will also be an empathetic listener.
References:
Cooper, J.L., Masi, R., & Vick, J.
(2009). Social-emotional development in early childhood: What every policymaker
should know. Retrieved from http://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_882.html
It is sad to hear of what is going on in Syria, and I commend you for researching this country specifically to learn more about the refugee children that are coming into your school. I chose to look at West and Central Africa, and they also deal with lack of clean drinking water, which causes many diseases (UNICEF, 2011). I can imagine that these children have a hard time acclimating to the new environment, how do you help them cope?
ReplyDeleteUNICEF (2011). Retrieved from: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/
I enjoyed reading your blog. It is interesting to see that you have such a strong connection with Syria and the many challenges that children must face from that area of the world. In the United States, we make information national when a school shooting happens. But it sounds like that in Syria, violence happens around children all the time. It is unfortunate that children who experience such violence have to deal with it because it can clearly effect their emotional development. When violence around them becomes a normal way of living, they most likely forget what is really important in life such as their relationships with others and their family.
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