It’s minus 10 degrees Celcius.
Its dark outside and a cold, icy breeze nips at your ears and your fingertips as you curl into a fetal position on the cement sidewalk. Next to your face there is a burnt cigarette butt, and you lean up against a garbage can to block the bitter wind.
These are the conditions that two young boys in Iqaluit were sleeping on July 26th, 2009. Imagine choosing to live outside in the cold, because you don’t want to go home in fear of adults drinking.
- Two young boys sleeping on the street outside a local grocery store on July 26, 2009 in Iqaluit. One child sleeps in shorts in – 10 degree Celcius weather.
In Nunavut, the rates of home violence are very high – studies have shown spousal violence to be 6.5 times the national average! And yet, only one-third of these assaults are reported to police. Situations like this may prompt young children (in some cases, younger than 10) to choose to sleep all night in freezing weather rather than being home.
(Credit goes to source)
Now, dont get me wrong. I love my country. I think I live in such a wonderful country with fantastic healthcare and a great education system. But when I see pictures of young children sleeping on the street, I am ashamed of how priviledge I am and I am ashamed that my country allows the youth and our country’s future to sleep on the streets.
Projected figures are not indicating any decrease in this kind of trend.Did you know the world’s population is forcasted to reach seven billion in two years, in 2011?
TWO YEARS!
SEVEN BILLION!
The growth projected for 2011 is expected to come from countries that are noted to be the poorest in the world – and at best, developing countries. Over the next fourty years, 97% of global growth will develop in areas such as Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Carribean, etc.
Lets compare: in the developed world, for example United States and Canada, the fertility rates are 2 and 1.5 respectively and yet, in a place life Africa, families sometimes contain 6 or 7 children. Big difference?
If we take it even further, look at the constrast between Uganda and Canada, which have about 34 million and 31 million residents, respectively. By 2050, however, the projected figure for Canada is 42 million and yet, Uganda’s population is expected to skyrocket to 96 million!
“The great bulk of today’s 1.2 billion youth — nearly 90 percent — are in developing countries … Eight in 10 of those youth live in Africa and Asia.”
“During the next few decades, these young people will most likely continue the current trend of moving from rural areas to cities in search of education and training opportunities, gainful employment, and adequate health care”
(CNN interview, Credit goes to source)
Imagine, the power of youth is 1.2 billion but ninety percent of those youth are in developing countries. Those of us in developed areas have a chance to make a difference. We have the opportunity to take the resources we have available to us and make a difference. We can create a difference – by educating people are that youth really are the future and that every single 1.2 billion of us needs to have food, shelter, education, healthcare and other basic necessities no matter what circumstances we live in.
So tell me, what are youth going to do to make a difference?
- Fariya Walji
CEO and Founder of Change Tomorrow’s World
