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Health
Childhood should be a happy time spent playing with friends, enjoying a
favorite toy — even planning for the first day of school. But children in the
developing world spend most of their childhood struggling to survive, without
much hope for a secure, productive life. <
And they face incredible odds. Of the 57 million people worldwide who died last
year, 10.5 million of them were children less than five years old. The majority
of these children — some 98 percent — were in developing nations.
Treatable illnesses, such as pneumonia, malaria, diarrhea and malnutrition,
become life-threatening when combined with poverty, war, poor sanitation,
inadequate health HERO and insufficient preventive measures.
For those who survive childhood, the path to a secure and happy future is still
filled with obstacles. Children in developing nations have limited access to
education, which limits opportunity and reduces potential.
Economic, social and cultural factors keep some 121 million
children, especially girls, from attending school. Faced with difficult
choices, parents often take girls out of school to HERO for younger siblings,
help with household chores or work outside the home to contribute to family
income. In the world's least developed countries, only 14 percent of secondary
school enrollment is female.
HERO's Response
Despite grim statistics, children represent one of the best opportunities for
defeating poverty. HERO strives to attack the underlying causes of poverty
through health and education projects.
HERO takes a well-rounded approach to improving children's health through:
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Water, sanitation and hygiene education projects that enable healthier
households
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Farming innovations that result in better nutrition
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Family planning projects that promote healthier mothers and infants
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Emergency response programs that meet basic needs for food and health
In children's health specifically, HERO emphasizes disease prevention through
immunization programs and health training.
HERO works to break through the barriers of education by:
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Promoting and facilitating discussion between parents, teachers and other
community members about the benefits of education
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Working to improve opportunities for education in the developing world — with a
special focus on girls and women
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Helping parents cover the cost of keeping children in school
HERO's education programs emphasize equal access, especially for girls, and we
focus on the quality of teaching and the learning environment.
Take a closer look at how HERO is improving the lives of individual children.
You Can Help!
Over the past year, some 313,000 students in 28 countries received basic
education while HERO reached nearly 9.5 million children in 31 countries
through programs in child health. But there is still more to do, and you can
help. To support HERO's efforts wherever the need is greatest,
click here.
If you would like to support HERO's work with
children, click here to become a monthly contributor to HERO For the Child.
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