Final Project Assignment Childhood Report in Tuvalu

Childhood Report in Tuvalu
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Childhood Report in Tuvalu
Childhood conceptualizations of childhood differ from one country to the other. To determine how different individuals view childhood, it is essential to consider the country of their origin. Tuvalu (formerly known as Ellice Islands) is an independent constitutional monarchy in the southwest Pacific Ocean. Tuvalu would form the basis of comparing and contrasting the concept of childhood with a Western view and in particular, the U.S.
Demographic details
Tuvalu is situated in Oceania, almost midway between Hawaii and Australia. Between 1892 and 1926, the Ellice Islands were administered as a British protectorate. In 1916, the British established the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony which existed until 1974. On October 1, 1978, Tuvalu gained its independence. Tuvalu is the fourth-smallest country in the world. The total areas of the islands of Tuvalu are 26 square kilometers.
The 2012 census indicated that Tuvalu had a population of 10,640. The Tuvaluans are Polynesian and account for 94% of the population (Tuvaluislands.com, 2019). The Tuvaluans speak Tuvaluan, although English is taught in schools and widely used. A majority of the people belong to the Church of Tuvalu. The infrastructure in Tuvalu is rudimentary. The only island in Tuvalu with a network of paved roads is Funafuti. The rest of the islands have limited paved roads or none at all (Nations Encyclopedia, 2019). Due to the poor road infrastructure, there are few privately-owned vehicles and some government-owned ones. The most common means of transport are bicycle and small motorcycle.
Due to its small size and the lack of exploitable resources, a majority of the population depend on subsistence activities. Farming and fishing are the main economic activities. The businesses in the country are mainly cooperative or communal. Tuvalu gets income from the export of small quantities of copra, licensing foreign ships to fish, remittances from expatriates Tuvaluans, and foreign aid fund. Most of the jobs are in the government sector, although there has been an increase in the number of private businesses creating employment opportunities.
Key issues
* Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
Children are supposed to have access to safe and affordable drinking water, as well as adequate sanitation and hygiene. However, in Tuvalu, a majority of the children do not enjoy these privileges. The lack of safe drinking water, proper sanitation, and hygiene have been the major cause of water-related diseases (UNICEF, 2017). Drinking water, in particular, is becoming rare and has to be imported. Rainwater stores are the main source of drinking water for the Tuvaluans. The most common water-borne disease in Tuvalu is diarrhea. The disease has been responsible for a significant number of under-5 mortality.
* Climate change
The children in Tuvalu face the problem of climate change. Global warming and rising sea levels threaten their existence. There is a possibility that these children could lose their country when the level of sea rises. In the future, these children could be refugees due to the change in the climate. Daily, the children of Tuvalu watch as their beache...