My original contact failed to contact me back and I was very blessed that I was able to be in contact with another thanks to my friend Ayeesha in Saudi Arabia. 

My international contact name is Marenal Liva.  She currently lives and works in Saudi Arabia but is from the Philippians.  She likes to be called Mar.  She is a very sweet young lady and thus we have already began not only an early childhood professional contact but a friendship.  I met Mar from a friend that I have in Saudi Arabia.  Currently, Mar works at one of the International schools in Riyah.  She teaches math and English to 4-5 year olds.  The system her school adheres to is very unlike what typical American schools do.  She spends 4 hours in the classroom and is allotted 4 hours of what she calls paperwork time.  She grades test, papers, records documentation, lesson plans and makes visual aids.  She has 35 pupils (what she calls them J) in her class.  “My pupils are smart, babbly children.  And their parents are very supportive for their education” (Marenal Liva, Personal Communication, 2014).

I asked Mar the following questions:

First email with questions

Can you share with me any specific issues of poverty that you encounter when working with children in your community as well as any concerns with poverty that you have throughout the world with poverty?

Second email with questions

What as teachers do you do to end poverty?  Does the school serve lunch?  How old are the children that need to work to support their families?  Can you tell me about the housing for those living in poverty?

“ I came from a country where poverty is one of the main issues where children cannot go to school in a regular basis or every day because they don't have enough resources to support their schooling example they don't have money to buy food in school, they need to help their parents to work even for a young age. And their parents always tell the school that instead of buying materials for the projects they will use their money to buy their food first. As teachers our responsibility is not only inside our classroom but also in our community we should make people aware the importance of education to stop poverty and improve the means of their living. In our country teachers spend their own money to help children go to school. They have a feeding program to give children food while they are in school. In that way children like to go to school because they can eat at the same time they learn.”

“As teacher we can help our community and country to end poverty to encourage people to send their children to school and finish it to find a better occupation in the future to improve their lives. Our parents always tells us that the only thing they can give us is Education because we are not rich. Education is the only way we can end up our poverty? Yes in some public schools they have canteen where children can buy their lunch. But in some remote places the schools have no canteen some kids bring their own food to school, that is why teachers contribute so they can help feed these children whom their parents can't give them food to school. Their works depend where they live example if they live in city these kids in poverty level works in the dumpsite they gather garbage and sell them. If they live in the rural place yes they work in the farm with their parents. Sad to say they work at young age of 4- up. If they live in the urban place usually they live in a squatter area they build their houses beside the train railways, land owned by other people or they live on the riverbank, their houses made of light materials like wood and bamboo. If they are in the province/rural area they live in the farm where they work and their house made of Bamboo and nipa or we called Bahay Kubo. I hope I answer your question properly. God Bless” (Marenal Liva, Personal Communication, 2014).

I very enlightened last week and driven to learn much more.  My career has been centered on working with woman, children and families that experience poverty.  I worked 12 years in Early Head Start and Head Start which serves children living below the poverty level. “Children from birth to age five who are from families with incomes below the poverty guidelines are eligible for Head Start and Early Head Start services. Children from homeless families and families receiving public assistance such as TANF or SSI are also eligible” (Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center, 2014).  

Currently, the program I work for does not have income guidelines but the families served are in an extreme povern community. I appreciate that Mar states that regardless of the families circumstances that the support education of their children.  It is even more admirable that the teachers support the children as well by encouraging and buying food for the children.  From my experience in HS and EHS the meals/snacks they received at school was the only meals they would be served for the day.  We strongly encouraged eating.  Poverty is worldwide.  My new insight this week is the mindset of of how families and different communities face it.  Positive reinforcements and encouragements can really inspire some.  I am sadden that children at 4 years of age are having to work to support their families.  I am grateful for educators like Mar and her fellow co-workers for taking care of children. 

Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center. (2014).  Poverty Guidelines and Determining Eligibility for Participation in Head Start Programs.  Retrieved September 20, 2014, from http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/operations/mgmt-admin/eligibility-enroll/income/PovertyGuideline.htm