In many developed countries, education is their topmost priority given that the children will be the ones running the country in the future. However, in many developing countries, even if much emphasis is given to the children, funds simply aren’t efficient, causing a huge number of underprivileged children. While children of developed nations are given the best of care, other don’t even know what it’s like to have complete basic commodities. Food, shelter, healthcare, and education is seen as a privilege to many and causes hopelessness for a prosperous life in many communities.
Children need a good educational foundation beginning at a young age to successfully run nations one day. Instead, many are forced into child labor and get involved with illegal activities. Many are found either begging for money in the streets are employed by drug traffickers.
Organizations from all over the globe constantly try to reach out to people to equip them in providing aid and support to many of these underprivileged children. Given the digital and technological advances we experience today, acquiring funds has been made easier for children’s organizations like UNICEF. For example, many donations from individuals are made through the internet and applications for volunteers are likewise done the same. Apart from acquiring donations, digital media has also helped organizations raise awareness to the gravity of the situation.
Organizations like UNICEF, Amnesty International, World Vision, and Action against Hunger focus greatly on immediate concerns for the children such as the lack of basic commodities. On the other hand, there are also NGOs who focus on the minority who experience problems which are sometimes overlooked given the greater amount of people with different problems. Some of these organizations are the following:
1. Newborns in Need
For many new parents, shopping for baby clothes is something that excited them. But fact is, not everyone has the means for it. Especially for parents of premature babies who are in need of clothing and blankets. Newborns in need accept donations of any type of baby clothing and send boxes to hospitals, orphanages, shelters, and families without the means for this commodity.
2. SOS Children’s Villages
Children are reliant on their families for both financial and emotional support. In some unfortunate cases, children become abandoned due to their parents passing. This is alarming especially in countries like Africa where AIDS is a prevalent problem. Thus, in some cases, siblings are separated and are unable to get in touch with each other. SOS Children’s Villages makes sure abandoned children or orphans do not go through that. They have put up communities in needy areas where adults are present to take care of children.
3. Reach Out and Read
17 percent of the world population are unable to read and write (Ortiz-Ospina, 2018). One of the causes of illiteracy is the lack of access children have to books. Reach Out and Read aims to decrease the number of illiterate individuals and do this through distribution of books after regular check-ups. Hence, a needy child’s health is taken care of while given access to books for them to learn how to read.
4. Doctors of the World
Many places around the world have experienced war and have gone through depression. Birthrates are going down while many of the children left behind are abused. Volunteers from Doctors of the World travel across the troubled countries and provide medical aid for children and pregnant women. Apart from medical assistance, children’s rights are also protected by this organization.
5. Parents as Teachers
Children often experience abuse in their own homes. At times, what causes this abuse is the lack of knowledge parents initially have in raising children. After which, it becomes a force of habit and children will inevitably experience mental health issues. Parents as Teachers want to avoid this type of scenario by holding regular visits to aid parents in their daily practices. Additionally, having Parents as Teachers staff regularly visit will help distinguish development issues children may have. Early discoveries can make a huge difference in a child’s overall development.
Similar to other NGOs, NGO who focus on children also seek funding. The application process for small grants for NGOs in developing countries are also done with the use of the internet. Through this development, NGOs have reached out and helped more communities live prosperously. While small grants for NGOs are available, NGOs also seek for other funding opportunities and even try to raise funds on their own through fundraising events to which can also bring about donations from participants.
