DoPeace.org

July 5, 2024
Blog 2: What’s in it for us?
My 15th Visit to Bangladesh
By Shahid Ahmed

Why should we bother to think about underprivileged children in slums? How does it affect you and me? We can live without doing anything. Right? Wrong.

Its impact is both near-term and in the distant future.

In the near term, uneducated children in slums represent a lost opportunity. Not only do they negatively impact the country’s economy, but the country also has an obligation to take care of them, which is a drain on already struggling nations with widespread slums. Furthermore, these children are prey to criminal elements, increasing the crime rate. Consequently, the inhabitants are directly and immediately exposed.

The long-term impact is staggering — holding the country back and ensuring that they will never kick themselves out of poverty.

For example, Pakistan has 26 million children out of school (Punjab: 10 million; Sindh: 7 million; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 4 million; Balochistan: 3 million). Bangladesh has 5 million. Afghanistan: 8 million. India: 6 million. Sub-Saharan Africa: 98 million!

These numbers are staggering and ensure that persistent poverty will continue, and perhaps deepen.

The mismatch in the speed of upward mobility between developed nations and the downward mobility of poorer nations is no secret. The gap will never start to reduce unless education takes priority in the affected countries.

So, you and I, and our children, and their children, will starkly see the impact. We, as a society, need to tackle this issue now. Otherwise, I foresee a point of no return in the near future.