Cecil (obscured), a Myanmar youth whose life was surrounded by war, landmines, human trafficking, and slavery before she was 9, was physically scarred for life. Fortunately, they did not strip her of her hope and will in surviving.
In the past 20 years, Hong Kong was returned to China, experienced the Asian Financial Crisis, overcame SARS, went through the Umbrella Movement and experienced many more events. Across the globe in Ethiopia, its capital city Addis Ababa also came out of a 17-year civil war and survived the notorious famine which took 400,000 lives. As the country gradually moved out of the shadow of famine and achieved the highest economic growth in Africa, a generation of children has grown up as well.
Zimbabwe is infamous for its hyperinflation. In 2008, the country had an inflation rate of billions percent. High inflation, unemployment and high prevalence of AIDS all contribute to the country’s poverty.
Many children there are orphaned at a young age as a result of losing one or both of their parents to AIDS. CEDAR’s partner in Zimbabwe, Family AIDS Caring Trust (FACT), has over the years collaborated with local churches to look after AIDS orphans and families. Our conversation with Rev. Never Femayi who is involved with FACT’s ministry, helps us to learn more about the work among the children living on the margins of society.
Nor Too Hei, a Myanmar local, still remembers the incident happening in her home town 19 years ago, when militants burned down her village and her family had to flee to the forest. Life in the jungle was not easy and they had to guard themselves at all times from the attack of the militants .
Not everyone enjoys the benefit of education, in India where less than 3/4 of the adult population are literate, disease, early marriage, and child labour have made it extremely difficult for children to be educated.
Development of children in China has improved significantly as the economy soars, and many UN Millennium Development Goals are reached before the target dates. However, urban-rural and east-west inequality and disparity are still huge, which means it is harder for some children in the western or rural areas to get proper education and hygiene services. The Lisu hill tribe children living along the mountainous border of Yunnan are an example.