Ayiti - Cost of Life Reflection

Part A: Haiti - Mini Study. Using the photo essays, articles, documentaries and movies. Write a report on the state of Haiti's children after the earthquake.

What human rights are being denied to them?

- They are being denied the human rights articles of 24 - 26. Those articles state that everyone should be able to have leisure, that everyone has the right to a standard living and that everyone has the right to have access to education.

What action is being taken to address this lack of rights?

Discuss the difficulties faced by this country as it tries to recover from the earthquake.

- Living in such poor conditions, the people of Haiti have little or no control of their future. Luckily, since the earthquake Haiti has attracted lots of attention, and they are getting aided from many different countries and organizations.

Why can some countries rebuild faster than others, and what is it about Haiti that put it at a disadvantage?

- Some countries can rebuild faster because they have good relations with other countries. For example, if something bad happens in a rich country, other rich countries that are close will immediately help out, and they will recover in no time. The thing about Haiti is that they were already poor even before the earthquake. They had a very unstable government who did nothing to help out it's people. Also, geographically Haiti is at a disadvantage with earthquakes occurring quite often.

Suggest how this country can cope in the forthcoming years.

- With the amount of aid that is coming in, they might be able to stand up again. What Haiti really needs is a strong government and a leader who can lead their people and give them hope. If they have a stable government, they will be able to use the aided money more wisely and hopefully for a long term goal.

Part B: Reflecting after playing the game, 'Ayiti - Cost of Life'.

Answer these questions.You may either cut and paste them into the blog posting, or write a paragraph that embeds the information.

1. What was it like playing the game?

- It was frustrating because you want to get money and education, so you send them to school and work. Then they would get sick at work, and you wouldn't be able to earn any money. If you don't have money, you wouldn't be able send the kids to school, then they don't have any education. Then they all have to stay home and if all of them get sick and you catch cholera, you probably will die.

2. What was the game about and how would you describe it to a friend?

- The game is about the situation that is going on in Haiti. It is a game that reflects the sad reality of people in Haiti who live in very poor conditions.

3. Which 'primary objective' did you choose, and why?

- I chose money because I thought at first that money would be the most important factor of improving life, and with money you are able to do different things and have a better living condition.

4. What types of decisions did you have to make about the family members while playing the game and trying to achieve yoiur objective?

- Although money was my objective and I wanted to make the family members work even if they were sick, after a few turns I stopped doing that. I stopped doing it becasue I realized that overworking them when they are not in a good state just makes the situation worse.

5. What strategies did you use? For example, did you combine work and school, or did you send anyone to school? Which worked? Which did not?

- I sent the father to work, and I made him work the rum distiller if possible, because it was worth a lot. I sent the mother and the oldest child to the family farm, and if any of them got sick, I sent them home. I took turns in sending the daughter and the younger son to school.

6. Why would parents choose to devote s much effort sending their children to school?

- I think they would do so because certain jobs require some amount of education, and they probably think that if their children got education, they would have a brighter future.

7. What obstacles did you face in trying to keep the children in school?

- It was hard because if you sent the parents to work to earn money, they would get sick easily and then you wouldn't have money. If there is no income, you can't pay the school fees so the children have to come home.

8. How do the situations and options in the game compare with those in your own community/ country?

- It is very different because in Korea elementary school education is required (not so sure about middle school). Most people go to public schools which are free except for lunch, and if you don't have enough money, you'll be aided by the government. Also, you don't have to worry about your parents not making enough moeny for you to go to school.

9. Why is access to education a huge challenge as LEDC's try to develop?

- It is a challenge because for LEDCs to develop, they need educated people. However that is hard to get for education costs a lot, and most people can't afford education.

10. Why is it vital to a country's development to educate its people-especially women?

- It's very important because educated people are more likely to have success in the bigger world. Educated people will be able to make better choics than those who are not educated, and educated people will be able to make the change so that more and more people are educated and have a brighter future.

11. Suggest some ways that countries could prioritize education, even for women, even in the countryside. How can they do this?

- The countries need to establish a public education system. They can do this by making sure that a bigger part of their finances go to education. They can try to spend less on weapons and the army, and put more money towards building a public education system that everyone can access.

12. Think back to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Look at the 8 targets. Look at how Haiti is doing so far. What will the targets be in the next 5 years for this country? Look at the MDG 'Progress So Far' website and search for Haiti to get the latest information.

- Haiti is not doing great because one of the Goals is 'End Poverty and Hunger'. The majority of the people in Haiti are still starving and are eating food made out of mud that are very harmful for the human body. Also, another goal is 'Universal Education', and that is not happening. People are struggling to survive every day; education is not on their mind.

World AIDS Day Reflection

Think about what we did on World AIDS day.

What are your reactions?
- I was surprised that we were able to raise so much money. At first I thought we would raise about 2,000 rm or so, but it was really surprising when Mrs. P announced that we had raised 4,000. Also during the assembly when they said that medicine for AIDS for one day costs 1.70 rm, it made me realize how much money we raised was worth.

What did our actions mean to you / other students at ISKL / the world around us?
- For me, it meant that I had something to be proud of. This was the first time I ever really participated in an action that raised money for a good cause. Before I have donated some money, but this time I contributed much more by going around with the basket of ribbons, asking for donations.

What were your highlights from yesterday?
- My highlight was going around the school asking for donations and giving ribbons. Although at times I got slightly frustrated for people didn't seem to care and kind of ignored us as we asked for donations, in the end, the result was good. Some teachers made big donations which made us feel good, and later on every time someone gave us money it felt really proud to know that we could make some kind of change with that money.

What will you remember about the day?
- I will remember the fact that I made a change on World AIDS Day. This year, I wasn't a bystander. I even tossed in 50 rm, which probably made somebody's day better.

What do you think GI students should do next year on World AIDS Day?
- I think next year's Global Issues' students should think of some new ideas to promote AIDS Day other than the ones that already exist.

What did you learn after taking part in an action project like this?

- I learned that children can make a difference after all. Before whenever I saw ads where they say anyone can make a difference and have an example, I always used to think, 'Oh well, that's a special case' and didn't really think it was possible for just anyone to make a difference. After World AIDS Day, now I truly do believe that anyone can make a difference in the world, that they can do something to make the world a better place. Also, I realized how much effort was needed to prepare a day like World AIDS Day. When I was just a part of the audience, I didn't quite realize how hard it would be to put together a project like this.

Search the web and find out what happened in other places around the world on World AIDS day. Find something that inspires you and post it to your blog and discuss it. (Ensure that you source correctly :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTUYs0WV_eM This is a video about how in Niketown London supported World AIDS Day. They supported RED on World AIDS Day. They set up there store, and they sold red laces, and products made out of red laces. Their slogan is: Lace up. Save lives. It's a short video and it's pretty sweet so check it out :). It is a good example of how people like us can simply contribute to such a big event.