The Race against Hunger will be organized for the 11th year in May, 2008.
Our school and the race
Last year our school decided to participate in this race against the hunger. There were more than 300 participants from our school and other ones from the German School of Bilbao. We collected more than 9000 Euros that were destinated to Burundi.
The race took place during a Wednesday morning and as there were a lot of participants we had to organise two different races by age.
The A.P.A. got from the sponsors some bags with food which were given to the pupils at the end of the race but we wasted a lot of food and kilos of tailing.(A limit when we think about the theme of the race). It’s evident that this year we’ll have to avoid this kind of mistake, sensitising, and we have decided to place this day under the sign of solidarity, of course, but also under the sign of sustainable development.
We are officially registered for the 11th edition and despite the exact date has not been decided yet (may), we already know that it will assemble a higher number of participants than last year.
Our purpose is to reach, this year, more than 15 000 euro and the first contacts have already been taken with the three schools of the Basque country which participate with us in the project: “Eco-parliament of the young” to convince them to participate in this solider purpose.
We have created a pupil commission to define with the teachers and the school direction, the development of this day. And we will ask :
- That this race will be a party.
- To make some stands done by the pupils of 3eme, stands where we will sensitise all the athletes about the hunger in the world, about the right of education for everybody, about the help to the most needed of our city, about the tolerance and about the sustainable development in general.
- To be able to let people know about our engagement and share with the highest number of people our worries about this problem, about poverty in general and climate changes
Some ideas:
To organise a rock concert (“terminal” pupils), to contact with a well-known music band (we’re thinking about Ken Zazpi), to invite our parent to participate, to invite the media to let people know about our engagement, to make personalized T-shirts in art lessons…
Decide if you want to help us in this solidary adventure, making us know by leaving a comment in this blog.
Lucia Guerra, Carlota Sans, Guillermo Arbulu and Guillermo Garcia (3èmeA)
Friday, 22 February 2008
Thursday, 21 February 2008
Sponsorships of solidarity classes
Aide et Action is an association for development through education and the first sponsorship association in France.
They act for a world where dignity is for everybody, thanks to education. Their commitment and their actions are based, foremost, on the values of liberty, respect, solidarity, equality and integrity.
Free of any political or religious dependence, they undertake to:
ACT respecting everybody’s right, and particularly the one of the children, humanity’s future, to quality education.
INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS, mobilize and influence so that education becomes a worldwide commitment.
ACCOMPANY people, contracting education projects.
PROMOTE an open education about the world, its diversity and its cultures.
DEVELOP the principle of solidarity and exchange between cultures thanks to the sponsorship link.
GUARANTEE the transparency of their actions and the use of our resources.
Besides suggesting individual sponsorships, Aide et Action suggests European students to mobilize on a Project which will contribute to improve the school atmosphere for children in Togo, Benin or Senegal.
Through three correspondences during a school year, this sponsorship allows children from here (primary and secondary school) and there, to exchange and “be aware of the others and their differences.”
Thanks to these sponsorships of solidarity classes, we have had the chance to keep correspondences with children in Togo.
The year 2007 has been very enriching. We have had three correspondences with classes in Togo (Agaradé, Kolo y Efolo) with great success. They have sent us photos and drawings and especially they have explained us how they live, which has allowed us to note that they have nothing or next to nothing. It is very important to understand how they live in order to be able to help them.
The money we have given them (200 euros) allows them to launch some projects. An example of a project is the operation palm oil. With the money of our sponsorship, the students of Agaradé have bought palm nut to produce of oil used for cooking and cosmetics. Afterwards, they went to the market to sell this oil, and the money collected has allowed them to meet the immediate needs of their class. Thanks to these projects, children also learn the differents stages which may help them to achieve their personal projects.
Their mails have helped us to undestand their difficult situation and their lack of school equipment, so we have bought dictionaries, rulers, compasses, maps... in order to help their teachers to work in better conditions.
This year the school sponsors of three more classes: at Kpaporga (Togo) and at Marsassoum and Boughary (Senegal).
Carolina Lopez, Marta Jainaga.
But how do we sponsor our actions?
Our school has carried out many projects led by students from various levels and by teachers for a few years. The main goal of these projects is to send money to our sponsored classes in Senegal and Togo.
The Raffle
We have been organizing a raffle for Christmas since December 2006 . Our goal is to send the money we make from it to developing countries. The winners of the raffle get all sorts of prizes. It fun ! Tickets are sold for one euro each and we have collected 3643 euros. This year, more than 400 prizes, including two bicycles, a camera, many rucksacks… have been won.
The Calendars
Last year, with the help of some teachers, some secondary school students designed a calendar about sustainable development.
Every month, we tackle a topic related to environmental problems (water and air pollution, transport, etc…) and look into solutions. Moreover, our calendar mentions all the environmental festivals like the world day of water.
1100 copies of the calendar have been printed and they will be sold for five euros and the profit we make will be used to buy school material that we will send to our sponsored classes in Africa.
Jone Ugarteburu, Marta Abeijon
They act for a world where dignity is for everybody, thanks to education. Their commitment and their actions are based, foremost, on the values of liberty, respect, solidarity, equality and integrity.
Free of any political or religious dependence, they undertake to:
ACT respecting everybody’s right, and particularly the one of the children, humanity’s future, to quality education.
INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS, mobilize and influence so that education becomes a worldwide commitment.
ACCOMPANY people, contracting education projects.
PROMOTE an open education about the world, its diversity and its cultures.
DEVELOP the principle of solidarity and exchange between cultures thanks to the sponsorship link.
GUARANTEE the transparency of their actions and the use of our resources.
Besides suggesting individual sponsorships, Aide et Action suggests European students to mobilize on a Project which will contribute to improve the school atmosphere for children in Togo, Benin or Senegal.
Through three correspondences during a school year, this sponsorship allows children from here (primary and secondary school) and there, to exchange and “be aware of the others and their differences.”
Thanks to these sponsorships of solidarity classes, we have had the chance to keep correspondences with children in Togo.
The year 2007 has been very enriching. We have had three correspondences with classes in Togo (Agaradé, Kolo y Efolo) with great success. They have sent us photos and drawings and especially they have explained us how they live, which has allowed us to note that they have nothing or next to nothing. It is very important to understand how they live in order to be able to help them.
The money we have given them (200 euros) allows them to launch some projects. An example of a project is the operation palm oil. With the money of our sponsorship, the students of Agaradé have bought palm nut to produce of oil used for cooking and cosmetics. Afterwards, they went to the market to sell this oil, and the money collected has allowed them to meet the immediate needs of their class. Thanks to these projects, children also learn the differents stages which may help them to achieve their personal projects.
Their mails have helped us to undestand their difficult situation and their lack of school equipment, so we have bought dictionaries, rulers, compasses, maps... in order to help their teachers to work in better conditions.
This year the school sponsors of three more classes: at Kpaporga (Togo) and at Marsassoum and Boughary (Senegal).
Carolina Lopez, Marta Jainaga.
But how do we sponsor our actions?
Our school has carried out many projects led by students from various levels and by teachers for a few years. The main goal of these projects is to send money to our sponsored classes in Senegal and Togo.
The Raffle
We have been organizing a raffle for Christmas since December 2006 . Our goal is to send the money we make from it to developing countries. The winners of the raffle get all sorts of prizes. It fun ! Tickets are sold for one euro each and we have collected 3643 euros. This year, more than 400 prizes, including two bicycles, a camera, many rucksacks… have been won.
The Calendars
Last year, with the help of some teachers, some secondary school students designed a calendar about sustainable development.
Every month, we tackle a topic related to environmental problems (water and air pollution, transport, etc…) and look into solutions. Moreover, our calendar mentions all the environmental festivals like the world day of water.
1100 copies of the calendar have been printed and they will be sold for five euros and the profit we make will be used to buy school material that we will send to our sponsored classes in Africa.
Jone Ugarteburu, Marta Abeijon
Sunday, 17 February 2008
Proyect Materi
Under the aegis of the government of Cantabria, the French school of Bilbao contributed in different plans which have as a common objective, helping in the development of Benin. Benin is a country located in Africa, in the gulf of Guinea between Nigeria and Togo. It is a country which has always attached great importance to education and it is rare to find a village where there is no a primary school. This is important because one of the biggest problems of Africans countries is their high level of an alphabetisation.
However, a quality education encourages children to stay at school and they risk being exploited less or being victims of acts of violence. The actions which allow giving a quality education to the children, have deep and lasting consequences to the society in general. Different actions led by the government of Cantabria with an important collaboration of the French school of Bilbao try to promote these concepts. More précisement Matéri plan.
One of the actions led as part of this plan and with which a bigger is operation “Education with pedals ". It was led to end thanks to the dispatch of 715 bikes which were distributed to the students and to the professors of Matéri. For 200FCFA / month (more or less 30 euro cents), the pupils of the high school will be able to have bikes. Preference will be given to those who live on the centre furthest. The abandonment of studies draws away the loss of right to the tenancy. (Intensification does not make lose the right to the bike.) This action tries to motivate the pupils not leave their studies and to make itself every day to the school to finish their studies and acquire the bike.
Also another led action was that of the collection of pounds. In the secondary school have informs the pupils that all those who would like could give pounds which they do not use any more, to recover them later all and to send them to the Benin.
The difference between humanitarian help and foreign aid well needs to make. This last has as objective to help less developed countries so that they can develop and one day to have the means of food by them without needing to accept helps. A more pronounced help, portrays twinning am under consideration for the next receipts
Beatriz Marquez, Ines Renobales Claudia del Campo
However, a quality education encourages children to stay at school and they risk being exploited less or being victims of acts of violence. The actions which allow giving a quality education to the children, have deep and lasting consequences to the society in general. Different actions led by the government of Cantabria with an important collaboration of the French school of Bilbao try to promote these concepts. More précisement Matéri plan.
One of the actions led as part of this plan and with which a bigger is operation “Education with pedals ". It was led to end thanks to the dispatch of 715 bikes which were distributed to the students and to the professors of Matéri. For 200FCFA / month (more or less 30 euro cents), the pupils of the high school will be able to have bikes. Preference will be given to those who live on the centre furthest. The abandonment of studies draws away the loss of right to the tenancy. (Intensification does not make lose the right to the bike.) This action tries to motivate the pupils not leave their studies and to make itself every day to the school to finish their studies and acquire the bike.
Also another led action was that of the collection of pounds. In the secondary school have informs the pupils that all those who would like could give pounds which they do not use any more, to recover them later all and to send them to the Benin.
The difference between humanitarian help and foreign aid well needs to make. This last has as objective to help less developed countries so that they can develop and one day to have the means of food by them without needing to accept helps. A more pronounced help, portrays twinning am under consideration for the next receipts
Beatriz Marquez, Ines Renobales Claudia del Campo
Friday, 25 January 2008
Youth’s Ecoparlement
Our way of consumption uses rapidly up our natural resources and we know that they will not last forever- Their extraction, and especially the fact that they have to be transformed to be turned into a consumable product, provoke, a part from other consequences, CO2 emissions. These emissions are mainly responsible for the climatic changes.
These climatic changes are felt all over the world, but they reach great proportions in zones were life conditions are already difficult.
A great number of countries, already affected by lack of food or drinking water, if we choose only to mention these two problems, are today at the edge of implosion.
It is therefore evident that our consumption habits are in a great part responsible of all these planetary changes
Becoming a responsible consumer imposes itself as a priority and the future of our planet is in the hands of the new generation, meaning us, tomorrow’s deciders.
Let's not forget, if we want to talk about endurable development that magnificent mention of Saint-Exupéry:
"Earth is a heritage that we borrow from our children."
Nowadays, we know, because our elders, our teachers, confess their mistakes and act to inform us. And we are lucky to know. But, does everyone have that right, that possibility?
We have nowadays in our hands fabulous tools to act, like 21 Agenda (global, local, in groups). But, why do we talk about local 21 Agenda if we don’t decide to create our personal 21 Agenda?
Yes, each of us has to behave like responsible consumers, being capable of criticising tricky publicity that excites our purchasing.
Yes, we have to recycle, reuse, understand the mechanism, the motive and convince our entourage.
Yes, we have to wonder about the "fair price" of our purchases if we want to act efficiently and durably.
We are convinced about all that, and even if it is sometimes complicated to apply our convictions, we must achieve this, because there's no other chance.
Our worries are thus others.
We have to face urgent problems, those problems which poison human being's daily life. We know there are a lot of those, but certain ones seem to be in capital letters.
· HUNGER IN THE WORLD
· THE RIGHT OF EDUCATION FOR ALL
We’ve heard about exterior debpt a long time ago, our countries are helping the countries in debpt repay them, but what for? To open as soon as possible a new debpt to restart our economy?
We arent going to solve this problem of hunger in the world while cultivating industrial use plants to satisfy our need of gas.
Meanwhile, the price of basic material such as cereal are rising scandelously and poor countries will once again be in debpt.
Speaking of debpts, aren’t we also in debt to crush these countries under the weight of our needs?
Us, the youth, must protest against such inegality wich we do not understand
To protest, it´s thinking, and that’s already good.
But what´s the use if we just wait for things to change?
Everybody, react! Let’s unionize our efforts and show our parents, our theachers that we are able to take that challenge.
Thanks to their help and support, we are starting to react but we must stay in control of the situation and surpass ourselves
Let’s quote this phrase by Gandhi: “Misery is the greatest source of pollution”.
That’s our project and this is what we propose you to do with us:
· A race against hunger
We´ve done it last year and we collected 9 000€ for Burundi (Africa). This year our objective is to collect 15 000€
It’s immediate and quite easy but it’s still charity.
But we still must do it because it´s unbearable that 24 000 people die daily of starvation while we are being picky with the fodd that is given to us.
We must also react ecologicly so that our help becomes more and more frequent and punctual.
How?
By favorising the right of education for all, the only reliable way to extinguish misery
Donations to poor classes seems like a good example of what we can do, because it helps them be more independent of us thanks to education.
The 3º pupils
Translated to English by:
Laura Gardner, Amaia Urgoiti et Alex Ronin
These climatic changes are felt all over the world, but they reach great proportions in zones were life conditions are already difficult.
A great number of countries, already affected by lack of food or drinking water, if we choose only to mention these two problems, are today at the edge of implosion.
It is therefore evident that our consumption habits are in a great part responsible of all these planetary changes
Becoming a responsible consumer imposes itself as a priority and the future of our planet is in the hands of the new generation, meaning us, tomorrow’s deciders.
Let's not forget, if we want to talk about endurable development that magnificent mention of Saint-Exupéry:
"Earth is a heritage that we borrow from our children."
Nowadays, we know, because our elders, our teachers, confess their mistakes and act to inform us. And we are lucky to know. But, does everyone have that right, that possibility?
We have nowadays in our hands fabulous tools to act, like 21 Agenda (global, local, in groups). But, why do we talk about local 21 Agenda if we don’t decide to create our personal 21 Agenda?
Yes, each of us has to behave like responsible consumers, being capable of criticising tricky publicity that excites our purchasing.
Yes, we have to recycle, reuse, understand the mechanism, the motive and convince our entourage.
Yes, we have to wonder about the "fair price" of our purchases if we want to act efficiently and durably.
We are convinced about all that, and even if it is sometimes complicated to apply our convictions, we must achieve this, because there's no other chance.
Our worries are thus others.
We have to face urgent problems, those problems which poison human being's daily life. We know there are a lot of those, but certain ones seem to be in capital letters.
· HUNGER IN THE WORLD
· THE RIGHT OF EDUCATION FOR ALL
We’ve heard about exterior debpt a long time ago, our countries are helping the countries in debpt repay them, but what for? To open as soon as possible a new debpt to restart our economy?
We arent going to solve this problem of hunger in the world while cultivating industrial use plants to satisfy our need of gas.
Meanwhile, the price of basic material such as cereal are rising scandelously and poor countries will once again be in debpt.
Speaking of debpts, aren’t we also in debt to crush these countries under the weight of our needs?
Us, the youth, must protest against such inegality wich we do not understand
To protest, it´s thinking, and that’s already good.
But what´s the use if we just wait for things to change?
Everybody, react! Let’s unionize our efforts and show our parents, our theachers that we are able to take that challenge.
Thanks to their help and support, we are starting to react but we must stay in control of the situation and surpass ourselves
Let’s quote this phrase by Gandhi: “Misery is the greatest source of pollution”.
That’s our project and this is what we propose you to do with us:
· A race against hunger
We´ve done it last year and we collected 9 000€ for Burundi (Africa). This year our objective is to collect 15 000€
It’s immediate and quite easy but it’s still charity.
But we still must do it because it´s unbearable that 24 000 people die daily of starvation while we are being picky with the fodd that is given to us.
We must also react ecologicly so that our help becomes more and more frequent and punctual.
How?
By favorising the right of education for all, the only reliable way to extinguish misery
Donations to poor classes seems like a good example of what we can do, because it helps them be more independent of us thanks to education.
The 3º pupils
Translated to English by:
Laura Gardner, Amaia Urgoiti et Alex Ronin
Friday, 4 January 2008
Race against the hunger
Today 800 millions of people suffer hunger in the world, 2 billion suffer food deficiencies, nearly 3 billion live with 1 euro per day.We can’t imagine the consequences in 2050, when the world population reaches 9 billion people.
Four multinationals share 90% of the agro-chemical industries’ world trade, weed killers, pesticides and seeds’owners. And to fight hunger is not really part of their aims.
Meanwhile, the countries of the OCDE (the richest nations) devote each year 350 billion euros to the agricultural subsidies which unbalance the world market. At the same time, they pour 8 billion euros to support agriculture in the developing countries.
Which are the solutions?
- To improve the outputs by using more chemicals, but we are already saturated.
- To reduce our meat consumption (10 kilos of fodder are necessary to the production of one kilo of meat).
- It could be a solution but the world bank anticipates on the contrary that the world meat consumption will increase by 50% from today until 2020.
- To clear tropical forests... it’s already in progress for the cereal plantation of industrial use (to manufacture 50 litres of agro-diesel it is necessary to burn 232kg corn and with that a Zambian or Mexican child can live one year.)
- The solutions suggested today are not ready for use to solve the problem, on the contrary... and we do not take the enormous environmental risks into account
-
- What can we do?
- It is not only what we produce which will determine the future of the agriculture, but also what we consume.
- It is our consumer behaviour which contributes to guide the evolution of our society। Because our purchases are at the origin of modes of production.- Can we deplore hunger in the world but not use our consumer capacity to fight against social injustice?
- Can we denounce the unceasingly increasing CO2 emissions?
Although, the fight against hunger in the world is not our responsibility, we cannot remain passive with 24,000 dead people per day.
The situation is more than urgent in several countries: 38 of 53 African countries have to import food to be able to fill up their food structural deficit and in front of the explosion in prices they can’t buy the bare essentials. We, pupils of the Lycée Français de Bilbao, have decided to mobilize and to take part in the race against hunger; the 12th race will take place on May 16th, 2008. Last year we already took part in this race, which allowed us to collect 9,000 Euros, which were later sent to Burundi.
This year we have decided to reach at least to 15,000 Euros and we have to find up the way.
Among the ideas to develop
Massive participation.
Make other schools take part as well.
To transform the race into a real party.
To avoid waste and to suggest this day as the day of sustainable development.
But first of all, to understand this serious problem better, to be able to tell others about it and at the same time to motivate them to take part with us or to help us financially, it is important and essential to make a consciousness raising campaign.
Wide program and of course, it is urgent!
A meeting will take place very soon between the direction of our school and the tutors. During this meeting I am going to suggest the creation of a commission of pupils, because I think that this initiative has to be transformed into a " youth action".
All your ideas are welcome and this is this blog’s aim.
Marta Smith et Claudia Ortuondo
Four multinationals share 90% of the agro-chemical industries’ world trade, weed killers, pesticides and seeds’owners. And to fight hunger is not really part of their aims.
Meanwhile, the countries of the OCDE (the richest nations) devote each year 350 billion euros to the agricultural subsidies which unbalance the world market. At the same time, they pour 8 billion euros to support agriculture in the developing countries.
Which are the solutions?
- To improve the outputs by using more chemicals, but we are already saturated.
- To reduce our meat consumption (10 kilos of fodder are necessary to the production of one kilo of meat).
- It could be a solution but the world bank anticipates on the contrary that the world meat consumption will increase by 50% from today until 2020.
- To clear tropical forests... it’s already in progress for the cereal plantation of industrial use (to manufacture 50 litres of agro-diesel it is necessary to burn 232kg corn and with that a Zambian or Mexican child can live one year.)
- The solutions suggested today are not ready for use to solve the problem, on the contrary... and we do not take the enormous environmental risks into account
-
- What can we do?
- It is not only what we produce which will determine the future of the agriculture, but also what we consume.
- It is our consumer behaviour which contributes to guide the evolution of our society। Because our purchases are at the origin of modes of production.- Can we deplore hunger in the world but not use our consumer capacity to fight against social injustice?
- Can we denounce the unceasingly increasing CO2 emissions?
Although, the fight against hunger in the world is not our responsibility, we cannot remain passive with 24,000 dead people per day.
The situation is more than urgent in several countries: 38 of 53 African countries have to import food to be able to fill up their food structural deficit and in front of the explosion in prices they can’t buy the bare essentials. We, pupils of the Lycée Français de Bilbao, have decided to mobilize and to take part in the race against hunger; the 12th race will take place on May 16th, 2008. Last year we already took part in this race, which allowed us to collect 9,000 Euros, which were later sent to Burundi.
This year we have decided to reach at least to 15,000 Euros and we have to find up the way.
Among the ideas to develop
Massive participation.
Make other schools take part as well.
To transform the race into a real party.
To avoid waste and to suggest this day as the day of sustainable development.
But first of all, to understand this serious problem better, to be able to tell others about it and at the same time to motivate them to take part with us or to help us financially, it is important and essential to make a consciousness raising campaign.
Wide program and of course, it is urgent!
A meeting will take place very soon between the direction of our school and the tutors. During this meeting I am going to suggest the creation of a commission of pupils, because I think that this initiative has to be transformed into a " youth action".
All your ideas are welcome and this is this blog’s aim.
Marta Smith et Claudia Ortuondo
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
Education right for everybody
How do the children live in the world?
Have you ever thought how lucky you are because you go to school and you live in a house with current water? There are a lot of children in the world who can’t say the same thing.
Most of them have to work, others have a nomadic life or live in countries in war. But all of them need love and attention, and have the right of education and of a worthy life, like yours.
But:
Around the world, 5 children are born in a second. But some countries say that they don’t receive the same education and the same cares.
And, 12 million children die every year before the age of 5, because of the need of food and medicaments, and the UNICEF experts (United Nations for childhood) give the total number of exploited children (250 millions) a scaring data. The biggest part of these children, live in Asia (India has 50 millions), Africa counts even more, in proportion, because 1 child of 3 works, against 1 of 4 in Asia and 1 of 5 in Latin America.
In the most part of the activities done by children, there are many risks of quick health deterioration. The use of chemical products in the shoe’s factory, silverware and textile but agriculture poisons the fragile organism of children too. In the carpets or weaving’s industry, children are crowded in dark rooms polluted by wool dust. They damage their eyes and their lungs. The children, who work as chiffoniers, have skin problems. They can cut themselves and contract the tetanus. The children who work for construction have growing unrests because of the too heavy charges. The children who work as miners are exposed to silicosis. The children who have to become prostitutes can contract the SIDA. The biggest part of them is condemned to be illiterates the rest of their lives, because they don’t go to school. They’re isolated, often deprived of their family; they have an enormous need of affection, which can have consequences in the future.
Working children (from 5 to 6 years old) live in the worst conditions and are the object of abuses of all sorts.
They’re obliged to work to survive and help their family, that’s why most of them don’t go to school. When they grow up, they’re angry and thirsty but they survive, they have dangerous and bad-paid jobs, , and domestic work turned into slavery, but they survive, they will be illiterates… an unacceptable reality, because it puts them in an unequal position.
We must have conscience off the necessity of an education for everybody and act, keeping the Gandhi’s sentence:” poverty is the biggest pollution source”.
How to react?
Charity is not a long-term solution, so we have to find long-term and sustainable solutions.
The sponsoring of solidarity classes is one solution.
“Aide et Action” offers European pupils to work on a project which will contribute to improve the school atmosphere of children in Togo, in Benin or in Senegal.
There are three correspondences a year. This sponsoring makes us (primary and secondary school) be aware of others and their differences.
Moreover, this year we sponsor three classes, which need money and school material urgently.
We must motivate ourselves and find solutions.
A raffle has been done and it was a great success.
Calendars are being sold by volunteers.
All ideas are welcome on this blog.
Beatriz Bageneta, Claudia del Campo, Ander Goirigolzarri
Have you ever thought how lucky you are because you go to school and you live in a house with current water? There are a lot of children in the world who can’t say the same thing.
Most of them have to work, others have a nomadic life or live in countries in war. But all of them need love and attention, and have the right of education and of a worthy life, like yours.
But:
Around the world, 5 children are born in a second. But some countries say that they don’t receive the same education and the same cares.
And, 12 million children die every year before the age of 5, because of the need of food and medicaments, and the UNICEF experts (United Nations for childhood) give the total number of exploited children (250 millions) a scaring data. The biggest part of these children, live in Asia (India has 50 millions), Africa counts even more, in proportion, because 1 child of 3 works, against 1 of 4 in Asia and 1 of 5 in Latin America.
In the most part of the activities done by children, there are many risks of quick health deterioration. The use of chemical products in the shoe’s factory, silverware and textile but agriculture poisons the fragile organism of children too. In the carpets or weaving’s industry, children are crowded in dark rooms polluted by wool dust. They damage their eyes and their lungs. The children, who work as chiffoniers, have skin problems. They can cut themselves and contract the tetanus. The children who work for construction have growing unrests because of the too heavy charges. The children who work as miners are exposed to silicosis. The children who have to become prostitutes can contract the SIDA. The biggest part of them is condemned to be illiterates the rest of their lives, because they don’t go to school. They’re isolated, often deprived of their family; they have an enormous need of affection, which can have consequences in the future.
Working children (from 5 to 6 years old) live in the worst conditions and are the object of abuses of all sorts.
They’re obliged to work to survive and help their family, that’s why most of them don’t go to school. When they grow up, they’re angry and thirsty but they survive, they have dangerous and bad-paid jobs, , and domestic work turned into slavery, but they survive, they will be illiterates… an unacceptable reality, because it puts them in an unequal position.
We must have conscience off the necessity of an education for everybody and act, keeping the Gandhi’s sentence:” poverty is the biggest pollution source”.
How to react?
Charity is not a long-term solution, so we have to find long-term and sustainable solutions.
The sponsoring of solidarity classes is one solution.
“Aide et Action” offers European pupils to work on a project which will contribute to improve the school atmosphere of children in Togo, in Benin or in Senegal.
There are three correspondences a year. This sponsoring makes us (primary and secondary school) be aware of others and their differences.
Moreover, this year we sponsor three classes, which need money and school material urgently.
We must motivate ourselves and find solutions.
A raffle has been done and it was a great success.
Calendars are being sold by volunteers.
All ideas are welcome on this blog.
Beatriz Bageneta, Claudia del Campo, Ander Goirigolzarri
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