To make the world a better place, I feel like we would need to start with education. If there is one pillar of society I feel as if everyone needs to have access to, it is that one. Think about it. Where would you be if your parents had not enrolled you in kindergarten? What if you didn't graduate from high school? There is a reason schooling is required by law. To be honest, I feel that it's a crime that certain socioeconomic classes receive poorer education than others. If more people were educated, they would know how to sustain themselves better. They would have access to jobs and be able to support their families better. And when I say education, I don't mean traditional education. I think that the education you and I are used to does not work everywhere. When I was in Dakar, I met with the founder of Tostan, Molly Melching, and she had education programs tailored to the people she was serving. For example, there was one in which they taught women how to take care of family affairs (pay taxes, take out loans, etc...). I also know that there are certain NGOs that work with inmates in Senegalese prisons, teaching them how to get jobs and support themselves once they get out of prison. I believe that this type of education, an individualized curriculum rather than a one-size-fits-all program, would make the world a better place.
After education, I believe that the world needs universal healthcare. Too many children in poorer countries die from diseases that are preventable and treatable in the U.S. Healthcare should be free, and available to all. This means that many hospitals would have to be opened up all over the world. When I was in Ica, Peru, I met families who had traveled for over 48 hours to get to the hospital I was volunteering at. This is not uncommon. Unfortunately, for people living in rural areas the nearest hospital is hours away. What are they supposed to do if someone hits their head, or suffers a heart attack? Their loved one would never make it to the closest hospital. I understand that hospitals are costly, so we must have at least some sort of mobile clinic in these impoverished areas. Life is precious, and we must do everything we can to save it.
Hi Alessandra,
ReplyDeleteI really like how you defined education and I think one useful tool is the Internet. For example, there are websites that can help people file their tax returns, which can save them a lot of time and energy. If there are more websites that can help people deal with their financial and legal issues, it would help a lot.
Hi Alessandra,
ReplyDeleteI agree that it's awful knowing there are people suffering and dying from diseases that are treatable in developed countries. I love that there are numerous programs where doctors travel to developing countries and help out but I do believe that there needs to be something more permanent. I think it would be helpful for these traveling doctors to hold training seminars where they're able to train people living in these developed countries to treat and prevent curable diseases.
Hi Alessandra,
ReplyDeleteHow do you feel about technical training as part of education? Like you said, not everyone wants/needs the same type of education. I also think that many people in tough socioeconomic situations have to divert their attention to work at a young age.
Alessandra,
ReplyDeleteI love how knowledgeable you are about these topics! I can feel your passion about wanting to change these current systems.
I agree with your idea that education should not be a one-size-fits-all solution. It sounds like you also want education to become more of a mix of academic and technical skills, which I completely agree with! Not sure if that is something you would want to explore in your solution.