THE ECONOMICALLY DEPRIVED

1.  Over 600 million children live in   poverty-on less than $ 1 a day 2. 250 million children between the ages of 5-14 work(in developing countries) 3.  50-60 million children work in unsafe conditions 4.  Worldwide 130 million children are not in the classroom.

Meet Raju and Udit. Both are 10 years old. Here are their profiles:

Name : Raju Age : 10 Years Work Experience : 5 Years Education : None Hobbies : None Other Interests : None Ambition : To get 3 meals a day, shelter, clothes

Name : Udit Age : 10 Years Work Experience : None Education : Grade IV Hobbies : Stamp collecting, soccer Other Interests : Basket Ball, Computer Games Ambition : To be a Computer Programmer

During a week of social work at our school we invited grade 3 children of Anubhav school. We performed some dances and prepared some gifts for them. When they were about to perform for us , most of us wondered how they would perform. But after their energetic dances we were so impressed that we were keen to make friends with them. We wish to share with you a bit of our conversation.

ANUBHAV-A Special school for the economically underpriviledged A  conversation  with some children of Anubhav School Udit... Do you like to go to school ? Raja... Yes. I like the activities we have in school-dance,music,games ........ I like to study also. Subhojit... What do you do in your free time? Raja... Look after our brothers and sisters and do housework Shambhavi... Do you have to work at home? Seema... Yes, I help my parents make the beds, help in cleaning, help in the kitchen-cut and chop vegetables. Mahima....What do you want to be when you grow up? Seema..... I would like to be like you--play computer games, wear a smart uniform to school. Also I would like to work in an office when I grow up.

During this exercise we realized that not all children are as fortunate as we are!!!!!!!

As the 21st Century begins a shocking majority of the people who live in poverty are children and women. "Slave-like describes the lives of millions of children. An estimated 20 million and perhaps as many 40 million boys and girls in South Asia are involved in Child Labour.

While the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer.
While the average per capita income in 40 countries has grown  by more than 3% each year since 1990, 55 countries have seen a decline and 80 countries now have a per capita income lower than that a decade ago.

• The richest fifth of the world's population enjoys a share of global income that is 74 times that of the poorest fifth.
  
• An estimated 12% of the people living in the richest coutries in the world are affected by poverty.

In New York city for example the percentage of children born into poverty rose from 44% to 52% from 1990 to 1996- a 20% increase and the number of homeless children rose 21% in the same period.

Debt has a child's face

Every child is born with a debt of

*  $ 1213 in Nicaragua                                                       *    $1872 in Congo                                                          *   Average of $ 417      in developing countries      as a whole

                                                                                            Unicef : The State of the World's Children 2000
The debt burden falls on the minds and bodies of children.
It gives children

Education	School	Hospital	Medication
a life without education	schools without roofs,chairs,desks or book	No Immunization against fatal but easily preventable diseases	Inadequate health care and other services

Credits:
Drawings :(Shubhojit, Shankhyan, Udit, Shourya---India, )
Photos      : UNICEF- State of the World's children 2000
Content & HTML:(India)

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