Understanding Childhood Vulnerability in Poverty A Qualitative Appraisal of Situation in Mymensingh & Netrakona Save the Children in Bangladesh March 2010 Save the Children WE ARE the world’s leading independent organisation for children. OUR VISION is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. OUR MISSION is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives © Save the Children, 2010 This publication has been produced with the support of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. The views presented in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Save the Children or the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Author: INCIDIN Bangladesh ii Acknowledgement First and foremost the study team owes to the children and their parents who had made time and had the patience of sharing their opinions and experience in the midst of the busy schedule. SUF and the project team of SARA have been most generous in linking the study team with the children, parents and other key informants at the grassroots level. We are deeply indebted to them for their supports. Niels Bentzen Country Representative and Shamsul Alam Bokul Deputy Country Representative of Save the Children Sweden-Denmark have been extremely supportive to the team. Shahida Begum Director, Education and Youth Employment program of SCSD has aptly guided the study process by ensuring coordination and conceptual clarities. Atik Anwar Chowdhury Program Coordinator (Social Protection) Education and Youth Employment Program of SCSD has offered the study team with continual supports and accompanied the study team from field level data collection to finalization of the report. Dr. Disa Sjoblom Regional Representative - South Asia, Save the Children Finland and Indrajit Chaudhuri Regional Child Rights Advisor - South Asia, Save the Children Finland have shared their own experiences in designing a similar study which have greatly contributed in spearheading the study methodology and analysis plan. Dr. Sjoblom has helped to streamline the analyses with her feedback on the mid-term progress report of the study. Indrajit Chaudhuri had provided a very insightful feedback on the draft findings which was extremely helpful in finalizing the report. Last but not the least we highly appreciate the committed and professional contributions of the members of INCIDIN Bangladesh‟s research team which has made the study possible within such as short period of time. On behalf of the study team, A.K.M. Masud Ali INCIDIN Bangladesh Dhaka, May 2010 iii Table of contents Acknowledgement................................................................................................................................... iii List of Abbreviations and Acronyms ....................................................................................... v Meanings of Bengali Words & Phrases................................................................................... vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................... vii 1. INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY ............................................................................ 13 1.1. Background and Rationale of the study ................................................................................. 13 1.2. Objectives of the Study ......................................................................................................... 13 1.3. Methodology of the Study ..................................................................................................... 14 1.4. Limitations of the Study ........................................................................................................ 14 2. CHILDREN‟S PERSPECTIVES ON POVERTY ....................................................................... 15 2.1. Children‟s Perceptions of Poverty ......................................................................................... 15 2.2. The Economic Indicators of Poverty .................................................................................... 17 2.3. The Behavioural Indicators of Poverty .................................................................................. 18 2.4. The Demographic Indicators of Poverty ............................................................................... 19 2.5. Factors Influencing Poverty induced Vulnerability ................................................................ 19 3. SURVIVAL-NUTRITION-HEALTH IN CHILDHOOD POVERTY ....................................... 22 3.1. Survival in the midst of Poverty ............................................................................................ 22 3.1.1. Factors influencing Child-Death at Birth .......................................................................... 22 3.1.2. Factors influencing Accidental Child Death ...................................................................... 24 1.4.1. Factors influencing Child-Death due to illness .................................................................. 26 3.2. Food Security and Nourishment ........................................................................................... 29 3.2.1. Food and Nutrition Status ................................................................................................ 29 3.2.2. Causes of Malnutrition ..................................................................................................... 30 3.3. Child Health and Health Care ............................................................................................... 32 3.3.1. Health status of the children in poverty ............................................................................ 32 3.3.2. Causes of Health Hazards ................................................................................................. 34 1.4.2. Health Seeking Behavior of the Poor ................................................................................ 35 4. EDUCATION AND THE CHILDREN OF RURAL POOR ..................................................... 40 4.1. Community status of education ............................................................................................ 40 4.2. Factors influencing child education ....................................................................................... 42 5. CHILD LABOR AND CHILD MIGRATION ............................................................................ 47 5.1. Child Labor .......................................................................................................................... 47 5.1.1. Situation of child labor at Community level ...................................................................... 47 5.1.2. Causes of Child Labor ...................................................................................................... 49 5.2. Child Migration ..................................................................................................................... 52 5.2.1. Situation of Child Migration ............................................................................................. 52 5.2.2. Causes of Child Migration ................................................................................................ 53 6. SOCIAL MALADIES OF POVERTY ......................................................................................... 56 6.1. Child Marriage and Dowry .................................................................................................... 56 6.2. Neglects and Exclusions towards Disability .......................................................................... 57 6.3. Discrimination against the indigenous children ..................................................................... 57 6.4. Gender Discrimination ......................................................................................................... 58 6.5. Physical and Humiliating Punishments and Abuse ................................................................ 59 7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................... 61 7.1. Major Findings and Conclusions ........................................................................................... 61 7.2. Key Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 64 Seasonal Chart........................................................................................................................................ 81 Seasonal Chart........................................................................................................................................ 82 iv List of Abbreviations and Acronyms Abbreviation Meaning FGDs Focused group discussions NFE Non-formal education NGO Non-Government organization PRA Participatory Rural Approach / Appraisal RRA Rapid Rural Appraisal TK Taka (Bangladesh currency) ToR Terms of Reference CRC Child Rights Convention CRP Child rights programming UN United Nations MBBS Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery TB Tuberculosis SSC Secondary School Certificate Examination v Meanings of Bengali Words & Phrases Bengali Words & Meaning in English AdivasiPhrases Indigenous Aman Paddy growing season from Ashar to Agrahoun Ananda Joy Aush Rice growing season from chaitra to Bhadra Bazar Market place bhapa Traditional