Children in need

In my home town, of Minot, North Dakota we had a natural disaster occur in June 2011. We had a major flood come through our town and out of 40,000 people, about 12,000 people were displaced from their homes. There were about 4,000 homes flooded completely, but many more were affected, because of ground water. The flood came through the middle of town and basically divided us between the North side of town and the South side. There was no hospital or grocery store on the North side of town so they had to be set up. There was one road that you could take to get to the “other” side of town and it would take you three hours to get there. 

My house wasn’t taken by the flood but, I had to move into my parents house, because it would take me three hours to get to my summer job, and then three hours to get home. My sister and her kids also had to move into my parents house. At one time my parents house had 16 people living there. Some where in campers in the backyard others where in the house. My aunt and her family lost their home do to the flood and lived with my parents for a year and half. My nephew kept asking “why is all the water here?...is it going to take my house too?” My niece who was 4 at the time had nightmares that the water was going to get her. I have kids in class that still talk about, when all the water came. 

Whether a house was taken or you had a displaced family living with you. You were impacted by the flood. restaurants shut down because they couldn’t use the water, and if they did, it had to be boiled first. Children remember that it happened and, for some of them it still is affecting them. Two schools were completely lost to the flood, so those students had to have school in our hometown auditorium and a local church. While others schools were bursting at the seems, because families moved. When something like this happens everyone has to learn how to adjust, but it is the hardest on children, who’s lives have totally changed or those who really have no idea what happened, but they know something is making mommy and daddy sad. Houses are still being built and, and some are being torn down. It made out community stronger, but we are still trying to rebuild. 

I researched Fiji, because I would like to go there and volunteer for a summer. Fiji has a lot of hardships like many countries, even though you wouldn’t think it, because it is a popular is tourist destination. However there is “Both absolute and relative poverty exist in Fiji” (http://www.nourishfijichildren.com). There are houses that don’t have access to basic needs, like water, food, proper shelter, or a proper eduction if any education. “While aid agencies largely concentrate upon development-focused approaches to poverty alleviation, the immediate needs of children such as nutrition and access to education remain unattended” (http://www.nourishfijichildren.com). Children in Fiji are malnourished, living in poverty. There are agencies that help children in situations like these, but there are not enough resources to help all the children. “It is obvious that nutrition is a critical factor affecting children and nutritional feeding programs are needed to improve the situation of thousands of children living in poverty conditions” (http://www.nourishfijichildren.com).

Resources:

 Berger, K. S. (2012). The developing person through childhood (6th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Nourish Fiji Children Project...Together we are a Force For Good in Fiji . Retrieved from http://www.nourishfijichildren.com on Sept. 27th, 2013.