Posted by: jisha in children on
Apr 8, 2009
Children from poor family backgrounds are more likely to be shorter in height than their well-fed peers. This new report has been revealed after a study conducted at University of Montreal, Canada. The researchers showed that continuous poverty during toddler years can curb the height of
children by the time they reach kindergarten.
"Children from families experiencing a persistent lack of money to cover their basic needs risk facing a growth delay," said Dr. Louise Seguin, " Children who experienced consistent poverty were more likely to have delayed growth versus children whose basic needs were met," she added.
For the study, the researchers analysed the data from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. The researchers suggest that health inequalities directly related to poverty is even common in industrialized countries.
Professor Maria-Victoria Zunzunegui revealed that those inequities translate to deficient nutrition, bad housing conditions that can cause breathing illnesses such as asthma that in turn can lead to shorter stature.
In addition to these environmental problems, poor children are often exposed to multiple psycho-social adversities. These hardships can lead to chronic stress that can affect their health as well as their growth.
The study demonstrates the need for economic policies to support parents with young children so that they have the sufficient economic resources to cover their basic needs in both the short and long term to ensure their normal development.
Posted by: jisha in Untagged on
Apr 2, 2009
What better way to create community awareness of serious problems going on not only in your backyard but around the world than with advertising.
This Billboards brings awareness of homelessness to those walking and driving by in India.
Page-1 | slumdog-blog
1.
Source: Stefanstroe
2. These tent cards were placed around coffee shops and restaurants India. They showed a child hidden in the middle of the card and the copy read, "Over two lakh children live in places you can never imagine."
Source: Ads of the World
Posted by: jisha in homeless, children on
Apr 2, 2009
Shelter is a basic human need. It is not surprising that the effects of
homelessness on children and families appear to be harsh and multifaceted. According to one study, homeless women are significantly more likely to have low birth weight babies than are similar poor women who are housed.
Other reports says that, compared to the general population of children, homeless children have twice as many health problems, are more likely to go hungry, and have higher rates of developmental delay. Although findings have not been consistent, higher rates of depression, anxiety, and behavior problems have been reported for homeless children. Because, collecting reliable and comprehensive information about the population of homeless families with children is very difficult. Accurately estimating the size, scope, and impact of homelessness among families with children in India has been almost impossible.
‘Slumdog Millionaire' star Rubina Ali is said to have been paid more than the Oscar winning film for a drinks commercial with Hollywood superstar Nicole Kidman. According to the nine-year-old slum dweller's father, the money Rubina is receiving for doing the ad is more than the total she got for the film.
Now the complaint by the slum kid's father is that the Film people haven't kept all the promises despite the media created much propaganda on their offer. Rubina Ali, who played the child Lathika in the film "Slumdog Millionaire", have drawn great media attention since the award event at Kodak Theater. Rubina's father Rafiq Ali said that they don't have any information about the trust fund and the 21 pound that was given for her studies have stopped coming. It seems that the family is still dissatisfied with the movie makers and what they had offered. Despite the slum kids were used for the movie, the feeling that they have to still dwell in the same dirty slum again is ruining their mind.
However the family is proud of Rubina's rising profile and hopes to lead a better life in a proper house in near future.
Source: Indianexpress.com
The story and the life of Syed is a lesson to be learned by the child actors of the eight Oscar Awards film
"Slumdog Millionaire". What reminded Shafiq Syed about his own childhood and short-lived fame was watching the child stars of "
Slumdog Millionaire" in Los Angeles as the film swept the Oscars in February. Having basked in the limelight for his portrayal of a street kid in the 1988 Oscar-nominated film "Salaam Bombay," Syed now struggles to feed a family of five at his home in southern India, Bangalore. His own rags-to-riches story has ended up after some time and he now earns $3 (2.1 pounds) a day driving a motor rickshaw (See the
article in Reuters).
This is a kind of warning for the child stars of the Sludog Millionaire. Syed has some advice for this slum kids. He says that "It's good that they have got this huge break, but they should not get carried away and focus on studies so that they can lead a meaningful life on their own when they grow up,". But when compared to Syed, these children have got much more privilege than him. The government have promised to shift them to a new apartment, besides their studies are taken care, a trust has formed to look after their studies and help them financially unto an age. How ever, the children should keep in mind what Syed says. The fame and money will not last!
Posted by: jisha in slums, homeless, children on
Mar 24, 2009
One third of world's poor children are in India. With a population of a Billion and growing, Indian children, especially those growing up on the streets of India encounter a bleak future. Most of them cared less about future as they played with their cheap toys and siblings. It is amazing with what trash they can play. The poor children are always victims of abuse. These
homeless children usually found living in slums or streets. They are forced to do any work even at their very small age. They scavenge through the dirt and filth for things that can be reused and recyclable. These children are prone to any illness as they rummage through the rubbish dump.
Such is the case of the children in Okhla, New Delhi. Children of small age goes through the trash collecting the syringes like seashells from a beach. Their hands scratched and bleeding, the "rag pickers" rinse the syringes and sell them back to the doctors for 10 or so rupees a batch - about 14p. Sometimes the children use them as water pistols, or drink from them. Or they string the pump gaskets together to make jewellery. And when they get ill, their desperate parents take them to the doctor - for an injection( Times Online).
It is shocking to know that around the world 1.3m people die each year from receiving unsafe medical injections. India faces the greatest threat. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in India alone, 300,000 people die every year as a result of dirty syringes. In India, the average person has three to five medical injections per year. Around 62% of these will be delivered by unsterile or reused syringes. The syringe that is reused may carry lethal infections such as hepatitis B or C, or HIV. The Times Online reports that the problem is not limited to slums or rural villages but private and government hospitals are also reusing syringes. Thousands of people are entering hospitals with minor ailments and leaving with life-threatening infections because practitioners won't spend money on new equipment, or simply don't know any better.
Posted by: jisha in Slumdog Millionaire, children on
Mar 23, 2009
After the success of the film, "Slumdog Millionaire" and the winning of 8 Oscars, criticisms against the film seems unending. Even though some of the Indians are proud about the movie's success, some part of the Indian masses are still not satisfied and are prone to rash criticisms. While some say the movie is a pornography of poverty, others are happy by simply thinking that Indians got the Oscars for the first time for the film that is taken completely from India.
But the much effort taking Indian directors are angry that their works were not given any consideration simply because those were directed by Indians and also the Westerners would like to see Indians as an underbelly nation. The famous director Priyadharshan had bursted out that his film Kanjeevaram which was shown alongside Boyle's film in the Toronto Film Festival was not given any consideration. He has joined the bandwagon in slamming Danny Boyle's underdog saga ‘Slumdog Millionaire' and has called the film a ‘cheap trashy mediocre version' of erstwhile Bollywood hits.
While, the Indian Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor, who played an important role in the film says that everyone who worked for this film didn't have any commerce in mind but wanted it to be a good film. He has donated his wages after playing the role in the movie's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire TV host, to Plan India, which helps underprivileged kids in the country. And Kapoor reveals that it was his own humble upbringing which inspired him to donate the money to the organization. Like this he feels that many other Indians who have watched the film and have a feel for the Underprivileged Children will surely do some kind of help to charitable trusts that looks after these kind of children.
Posted by: jisha in Untagged on
Mar 21, 2009
Australian TV bosses are hoping to cash in on the success of the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire with a revamped version of the quiz show Who wants to be a Millioniare. The rags-to-riches tale of a Mumbai slum boy, who wins the jackpot in the Indian version of the quiz show, has won eight Oscars and raked in 150 million pounds worldwide.
Australian TV presenter Eddie McGuire is returning to host a revamped version of the show on the back ofthe films success. Unlike the traditional Millionaire, the new format to be hosted by Mc Guireis said to be fast-paced. “It’’sthe best game show in the history of television, and the hottest movie in the world,” News.com.au quoted Mc Guire as saying. “Millionaire is back by popular demand, with a twist. “Never has it been more appropriate to give people a chance to win great money. Millionaire Hot Seat has a quicker format, but the famous drama remains,” he added. According to the New York Times, US ABC network is also planning to revive its Millionaire format, following the success of Danny Boyles Slumdog Millionaire.
News Source (ANI)
Posted by: jisha in Slumdog Millionaire, children on
Mar 19, 2009
Designers Ashima and Leena is going take children from the Oscar winning film to showcase their creations on the second day of Wills India Fashion Week.
While most designers turn to Bollywood leading ladies to walk the ramp for them during fashion week, Ashima and Leena Singh have decided to use Azharuddin and Rubina, who played the youngest Jamal and Latika in the Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionaire, for their show on the second day of the Wills India Fashion Week (WIFW). Both the designers are planning to keep the glory alive for Azhauddin and Rubina after they came back from the Oscars. The designers are also to launch “Ashima-Leena Jai Ho Foundation” with this show. The foundation will work with Khushii and hopes to help educate poor children.
See the news in Business Standard
Posted by: jisha in Slumdog Millionaire on
Mar 19, 2009
Oscar Awards winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire” has crossed borders to China's list of 20 foreign films allowed to be screened in its theatres. The director of the film 'Danny Boyle' is expected to attend the movie's premiere in Beijing on March 24. The movie has cleared the Chinese censors. The China Film Group Corporation has praised the movie for its artistic value and for imposing a positive, healthy and inspirational aspect in the film. The CFGC is the body that decides on foreign films for Chinese audiences.
It's hard for many Hollywood movies to break into the Chinese market because of the quota and also the rigid censorship process. Chinese authorities often reject films that may contain negative portrayals of China, its people, explicit scenes of sex or violence, or sensitive topics such as Tibet.
"Slumdog Millionaire" will be shown in some 2,000 cinemas across China.
See CBC News
