Early in the morning on August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States. When the storm made landfall, it had a Category 3 rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale–it brought sustained winds of 100–140 miles per hour–and stretched some 400 miles across. (History.com)
I have not experienced this stressor as a child, but I do remember my 9th grade year when this natural disaster occurred. August 2005, my freshmen year in Wynne High School, the world knew Hurricane Katrina was on the way. Our teachers and higher administrators kept us informed on the status of the hurricane, even though we were not in the path of the storm. Once the storm was over, and the world knew of the damage that was caused, we were informed of families traveling to higher states to start over. Within a month, we saw new faces throughout our community and schooling. There wasn’t but 5 new students whom were in high school. I could not imagine what was going through their head the first couple of days of school after what they had been through. Me, being a friendly person, I was able to build a friendship with one particular girl because we were in the same grade! She described to me and a couple other friends how her family had lost their homes and how they had to be rescued from their roof top. I could never forget her informing us how scary the storm was back then. Winds blowing extremely hard, water level rising, homes and lives being lost. Thankfully her and her family were able to leave without any harm being brought to them and they were able to transport to Arkansas. Of course the transition for them was terrifying, but between myself and other classmates, school administrators and the community, they were able to obtain a stable home, liable transportation and clothing. Despite everything her family had been through, I never saw the individual, whom is still a friend of mine, in a negative spirit. She always had a smile on her face, very welcoming and just a overall friendly person.
Poverty in Russia
The country I chose to research is Russia and how poverty is affecting young children. More than a quarter of children in Russia live below the poverty line. (Stichting, 2019). A quarter of the Russian children under the age of 18 are barely surviving. Their families have three or more children in the home and they are living off less than $200 dollars a month. Children are being abused in their homes, as well as their mothers and the authorities are barley doing anything to protect them. In 2009, more than 150,00 children were reported orphanages and in boarding schools. Children are not spared and their rights have become completely ignored. They find themselves faced with deplorable living conditions to which the government has not proposed any solution. Without housing, access to treatment or education these children are in part ignored by Russia. (Humanium, 2019)
Reference:
Hurricane Katrina – Facts, Affected Areas & Lives Lost – HISTORY
Early Childhood Studies 