Poverty in Ethiopia

According to an article that I recently read, some of the causes of poverty in Ethiopia are:

• Absence of sufficient rainfall
• Shortage of food products owing to several conditions
• Technological know how being poorly developed
• Transportation facilities are poorly developed
• Lack of potable water, proper education and health programs

In Ethiopia, 44% of the population lives under the poverty line. Many of the people live in rural areas with agriculture as their main occupation. The HIV/AIDS pandemic is driving poor people even deeper into poverty, depriving families of the young adults who are their most productive members.
Poverty in Ethiopia is more pronounced in the rural areas as compared to the urban areas. The situation has worsened because of sharp increases in the prices of food and fertilizers on world markets, which made it difficult for poor households in Ethiopia to secure adequate food supplies.

References

Poverty In Ethiopia-Financial Information, World Finance
www.finance.mapsofworld.com/economy/ethiopia/poverty.html

Poverty (:-{/{) My Unwanted Experience

My family and I were negatively affected by poverty. We lived in it for many years. Although my mother and father worked, we struggled to keep food on the table, clothes on our bodies, and a roof over our heads. Poverty is a condition that no one should have to experience, but hey, life is unfair and people go through things. We made the best of this situation by being thankful for the things that we did have access to. Although, there is really nothing good about living in poverty, the unconditional love that I shared with my family and neighborhood friends kept me very happy. Having the support of loving, caring, & positive people was priceless. Having my family and friends in my life was better than playing with any toy. I have learned to be strong and give to others who are less fortunate. This was one positive thing that gave me the strength to cope with poverty as a child. My father and mother did not earn a lot of money so they constantly encouraged my siblings and I to get a good education so that we would not end up like them. Unfortunately the cycle continues all over the world. Change is possible and is currently underway because there is always at least 1 person who is willing to commit to it!

Access to Healthy Water in Haiti

Access to healthy water is a concept that some people in developed countries take for granted. It is a blessing to be able to get out of bed, walk to kitchen and bathroom faucet, turn a knob and clean water is provided immediately with your preference of temperature. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many residents in Haiti. 46% of Haiti's urban population and 54% of Haiti's rural population have access to a water supply. Sewer systems and wastewater treatment are nonexistent. In rural areas, systems have often fallen into disrepair. They either do not provide any water service at all or provide service only to those close to the source, with those at the end of the system (tail-enders) remaining without water. In almost all urban areas of Haiti, water supply is intermittent. The problem of supplying the metropolitan area of the capital with sufficient clean water and a sewer system remains unresolved. Many privite citizens and some major consumers such as luxury hotels, receive all their water via tanker trucks. This topic is important because children can catch life threatening diseases if they are not able to drink clean water. This issue is relevant to my field of work because home day cares must have clean water, serve nutritious meals, and follow other health protocols.

References

"Water Supply and Sanitation in Haiti" from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My Personal Birthing Experience

I am a woman who has never given birth or been pregnant before. It is interesting to learn more about women giving birth around the world. I was able to witness and support the birth of my niece. My sister was overdue and the doctor recommended that she arrive at the hospital a day before the birth. We packed several night gowns, slippers and other comfortable items that she would enjoy throughout her hospital stay. She was shy about letting the baby's father witness the birth due to the horrible smell and sight of stuff exiting...well you know where Im going with this :-)). She felt more comfortable with me being there so I held 1 leg while the nurse held the other leg and instructed her to push. Surprisingly all she felt was pressure from pushing, but no pain. Fortunately the doctor was able to give her an epidural and some pitocin several hours before delivery. I witnessed the crowning of the head. When the baby was born, I was surprised because my sister and I were the ones crying and the baby never made a sound....but her eyes were wide open and she looked so curious. This experience helped me to mature and feel more responsible for the life that just entered the world. As I reflect on this experience, I really do appreciate the support of well trained professionals in making this delivery a success!

Special Birthing Experiences

I viewed a video of a kenyon mother who gave birth to her 8th baby at home on the floor due to extreme poverty in one of the poorest slums in Kenya. I noticed that the baby hit the floor because the mother was still standing while she was in labor. Unfortunately, Jane is too poor to pay hospital fees so all of her children were born like this. Her neighbors help out as much as they can, but none of them possess any medical skills if something went wrong after the birth of her baby. Jane works at an illegal alcohol brewery making $1.00 per day. Jane states that "Giving birth is the easy part, but trying to feed 8 kids is a daily struggle." The childrens' father travels a lot and does not want to be involved in family planning. He only shows up for surprise visits. I think seeing the video has helped me to appreciate where I live and what is available to me in the United States. I think Jane is a strong person who doesn't have the tools that she needs to be successful.

I also noticed that Jane's family did not have access to a phone, electricity, or even nutritious foods. This will have a negative effect on both mother and the child's development. I was relieved to know that her baby did not have any medical emergencies after birth. However, my sister's infant did have a substance called meconium in her lungs and she was able to be treated. So, Jane in some instances, is fortunate.