Getting to Know Your International Contact-Part 2

Not having received a response from an international contact, I reviewed I reviewed the Global Children's Initiative of The Center on the Developing Child of Harvard University's website.

The Global Children’s Initiative focuses on three main objectives: educating professionals about issues related to learning, behavior, and health in the early years of a child’s life; to raise global understanding of how to foster healthy development; and to build leadership by joining voices globally about efforts to raise healthy children in low and middle income countries.  The Center’s key components towards tackling their objectives for improvement are the domains of early childhood development, child mental health, and children in crisis and conflict situations.   

The Centre on the Developing Child through the Global Children’s Initiative, is working in collaboration with Brazilian policy makers to provide stronger policies and greater investments in the early care and development of children and their families. This will certainly provide a stronger, more affluent and sustainable society in the future. Un Buen Comienzo (UBC), which means “A Good Start”, is a collaborative project in Chile, which endeavors to improve early childhood education through the professional development of teachers. The notion is to improve the attendance, language development, and social-emotional development of children ages four to six years of age. Family involvement is a fundamental component of this project, which helps in fostering the healthy development of children.  There is an immediate need to identify problems and services between the countries that are related to the research, education and public awareness of children’s mental health issues and its effect on society as a whole, in the mental health field.  Projects in this area will assess services in China, Rwanda, and the Caribbean countries of Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname. 

Issues of equity and excellence are evident in the efforts of the global children’s initiative because children and families are receiving expert advice, healthy living conditions, and knowledge about learning environments on an international level.  By educating others and working on a global level, more children and families are supported ensuring that equity and excellence are being realized by all children worldwide.

Additionally, I listened to the podcast: Episode 1 by Barnabas Otaala, who is the Dean of Education at Martyr’s University in Uganda.   He was awarded a World Forum networking grant to study the impact of HIV/AIDS on young children in Namibia.  He spoke about a child in his village who was HIV positive and the parents were afraid to tell the villagers as they feared that the they would hate them. Nonetheless, Mr. Otaala suggested that they take the child to a doctor. The parents eventually took the child to the doctor and listened to what the doctor had to say. The doctor gave the child ARVs and the parents took the child home and followed the doctor’s instructions. Mr. Otaala was elated that he was able to partner with the parents and the doctor for the best possible outcome for the child. He feels it is imperative that those involved with a child partner and find the best ways to help the child.

Reference

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/globalinitiative/

http://sarah-dev.worldforumfoundation.com/world-forum-radio/