Program for Education, Health and Food in Mexico Essay Example for Free

Program for Education, Health and Food in Mexico Essay The United Nations formulated global targets to be attained by all nations which are referred to as millennium development goals (MDGs), which need to be met by 2015. This is the foundation for the major development agendas set by separate nations in the world today that all are geared towards these goals. For instance these goals includes poverty and hunger reduction, universal primary education, equitable access to all levels of education and a reduction in maternal and child mortality (Behrman Sengupta, 2001, p. 45). Therefore in order these targets to be achieved globally, they ought first to be achieved by the individual nations as units making the globe. This therefore calls for the commitment of nations geared towards implementing multi sectoral strategies of these individual nations in the whole world to attain these MDGs which bears the common good to the majority. In this connection, Latin America is not an exception to the global programs. In this regard, Latin America established five conditional cash transfers programs aimed at reducing poverty and to increase human capital in form of education, (Cardoso Souza, 2003, p. 23) health and nutrition in order to contribute to the attainment of the United Nations development targets set by the year 2015 in the globe (Coady Parker, 2004, p. 178). These programs include Bolsa Escola program (which provides school grants), Programme for the Eradication of Child Labour in Brazil, the Families in Action program in Colombia, the Social Protection Network in Nicaragua, and Oportunidades program in Mexico. However this term paper shall give focus to the Oportunidades program in Mexico (Cardoso Souza, 2003, p. 63). Concepts of Conditional cash transfers The concepts of CCT (Conditional cash transfers) are new development programs adapted by nations as a result of global development challenges. The approach of CCTs are adapted with an aim to foster human capital accumulation among the young generation in order to break inter-generational vicious poverty cycle in the modern generation (ECLAC, 2002, p. 82), so that tomorrow world can have a poverty free generation with reduced social crisis. Therefore CCTs involves providing and availing money to poor families conditional upon investments in human capital such educating children, improving the health through creating health centrers close to the people and nutritional aspect (Coady Parker, 2004, p. 23). This is done through the use of the demand-side interventions to support directly the beneficiaries as opposed to traditional supply-side mechanisms like provision of general subsidies or investments in health providers of social services or health facilities and centrers or schools. In this regard therefore Conditional Cash Transfers programs targets at improving children’s human capital. Which is similar to the case of Latin America and Mexicos Programa de Educacion, Saludy Alimentacion (PROGRES) (Behrman Sengupta, 2001, p. 131). However in order to analyse the conditional cash transfers, the analysis should be based on the new approach to social protection, that encompasses risk management approach that is aimed at enhancing human capital and defeating poverty in the longer term plans (Attanasio Gomez Heredia Vera-Hernandez, 2005, p. 5). For instance the social risk management strategy indicates that individuals, households and communities are exposed to multiple risks in their environment. Thus Poverty translates to greater vulnerability of the poor community, simply because poor people in the community or society usually are limited to access to instruments that are necessary for risk management (Behrman Sengupta, 2001, p. 213). In addition poor sect of society or community are always poorly prepared to cope with crises whenever they occur. For example the poor sect would handle a financial crisis using an informal method and approach like taking their children out of school and keeping them at home, which is insufficient approach to crisis management. This way of handling crises results to irreversible loss of human capital and perpetuated intergenerational poverty cycle that becomes hard and difficult to reduce (Cardoso Souza, 2003, p. 141). In this respect the social risk management model uses three functions that are vital for the public policies. This includes the prevention, mitigation and coping, which embraces the long term benefits and reduced consequences. Therefore, it ends up helping benefiting people living in structural poverty, people who are just above the poverty line and groups with special needs in the society. Therefore, the CCTs approach is rooted from the concept of social protection as human capital investment that holds that poverty is reproduced across human generations due to a lack of investment in human capital (Behrman Sengupta, 2001, p. 63). In this respect CCTs approach is more effective than the traditional approach, since it incentivizes this human capital investment by attaching conditions to transfers to produce desired results to the community and world at large. The use of CCTs in education ensures that opportunity cost of education is reduced hence reinforces the income effect of the transfer in such a way that school attendance and child labour is not as a substitute to income effect. This is aided by implementation regulations such as compulsory attendance of school by children with income substitution to enhance its impact. In this case when the children spend much time in school they would not consume as much resources as they would consume when are at home. Hence in terms of conditional cash transfers it implies that,there will be a minimum transfer amount needed to produce incentives 0 to send children to school (Attanasio Gomez Heredia Vera-Hernandez, 2005, p. 56). Therefore, this ensures that the saved resources are put to development agendas that will enhance wealth creation and more investment realization. The program was created in the year 1997 by Mexican Federal Governments as a strategy to support rural families in extreme poverty to alleviate from those poor conditions (Cardoso Souza, 2003, p. 39). But the name changed to Oportunidades meaning Opportunities that was extended to urban populations by president Fox in the 2001. This program uses the conditional cash transfer concept within Latin America and its design marks a significant shift in social services provision in Mexico today. The guiding principles that the program uses to work are; targeting, intersectorality, empowerment of women and shared responsibility. The program was created for the purpose of increasing the capabilities of families that live in extreme poverty by investing in human capital in Mexico (Attanasio Gomez Heredia Vera-Hernandez, 2005, p. 42). This goal has three main objectives which includes education, health and nutrition. This is because the three component are dependent of each other. For instance, education will enhance technological development in the health and food production sectors to handle diseases and agricultural areas respectively, while education can not continue and progress within the environment that is infested by diseases and poor health as a result of malnutrition. Both components, if they are not balanced, can result to poor productivity in the economy and society. In this connection, the following section shall look at these three components Educational component The payments that concerns educational expenses are made to families with children under the age of 18 who are enrolled in school between the first year of primary education and the third year of secondary school. But in order to create and initiate incentive for families to invest in human capital, payments are conditional to children attending school. In addition, if a child has a non-attendance rate of over 15 percent in one academic month without a valid reason, the family does not receive the assistance that concerns education. By doing so, the government ensures that great emphasis is laid to education and eliminates unnecessary laxity in the implementation process, by involving parent to monitor their children and educationalists to keep updated record which the government uses to allocate payments to parents hence, each stakeholder participates in the process (Calde Coady, 2004, p. 272) . The amount of money that is transferred are set basing on the additional income the children would be fetching to the family if the child would be working and not attending to school. The payment rises with an increase in the age of a child. However, this is schemed higher for girls at secondary level (ECLAC, 2002, p. 71) . This is to encourage a girl child education like many parts of the world today do. In addition to regulation of the payment, the pay is designed to be inflation concious that prevents falling of value. In general, the grant is dependant on the enrolment and school attendance. While, the grant covers both direct costs required like school fees, school supplies, transportation and the opportunity costs as a result of attending school in Mexico (Davis, 2003, p. 30). Health component In relation to the health component Oportunidades program invokes the provision of primary health care to all members of the family, this to cultivate an enabling environment for the leaner to able attended to well. The health services are provided at clinics, dispensaries and health centrers which are operated and run by Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (Mexican Social Security Institute) and the Secretariat of Health (Davis, 2003, p. 128). These grants are targeted to newborn children of about 2-3 years of age (ECLAC, 2002, p. 129), hich may continue up to the time the children enrols in primary school level. In addition to the that, pregnant and lactating women are included in the program. This component consists of a cash transfer aimed at health care, nutrition education and food consumption that benefits mothers and children. The transfer is on the basis of compliance by participating household members with a pre-determined number of health centre visits and health and nutrition workshops which are attended, this ensures a full participation in the process and community unity (Gertle, 2000, p. 61). The children’s health care visits are linked to growth monitoring and vaccination protocols that needs to be observed by mothers. This ensures that, the health standards are maintained by citizen which forms a healthy nation. In addition to that, Health Care visits for pregnant and lactating women ensures appropriate prenatal, childbirth and puerperal care (Calde Coady, 2004, p. 76) through attending clinical check-ups once or twice per year in Mexico. This health component ensures that the societys well being is taken into account therefore, this will translate to good education involvement and participatory. Therefore health component indirectly or directly promotes and support education. Nutrition component The grant provided is directed towards providing money to improve food consumption and availability, especially to children below age of 4 months to 2 years (Gertle, 2000, p. 232), weaned babies and breastfeeding mothers. This package is inclusive of children aged above the age of 2 years to 5 years who are at risk of malnutrition or those who are poorly nourished (ECLAC, 2002, p. 223) in the society. The condition to continue and get the grants is based upon ability to visit the health clinics regularly, in this way, the population continues to be updated on the health prevention and cure methods while the government gets the required statistics that are vital for planning and fighting infections to its citizens. It should be noted that the nutrition and health voucher as equivalent to the value of the time invested by the mother during the trip and waiting at the health centre to to get health services (Calde Coady, 2004, p. 267). For instance, the statistics indicate that health grant per beneficiary per month was set at the same level as the education transfer of about US$9, which is twice the monthly expenditure per person on health care and medicine costs.

The Bluest Eye :: essays research papers

The Bluest Eye is a brilliantly written novel revealing the fictional trauma of an eleven-year-old black girl named Pecola Breedlove. This story takes place in the town of Lorain, Ohio during the 1940’s. It is told from the perspective of a young girl named Claudia MacTeer. She and her sister, Frieda, become witness to the terrible plights Pecola is unintentionally put through. Pecola chooses to hide from her disabling life behind her clouded dream of possessing the ever so cherished â€Å"bluest of eyes†. The Breedlove’s constant bickering and ever growing poverty contributes to the emotional downfall of this little girl. Pecola’s misery is obtained through the touch of her father’s hand and the voice of her community’s struggle with racial separation, anger, and ignorance. Her innocence is harshly ripped from her grasp as her father rapes her limp existence. The community’s anger with it’s own insecurities is taken out on thi s poor, ugly, black, non-ideal, young girl. She shields herself from this sorrow behind her obsessive plea for blue eyes. But her eyes do not replace the pain of carrying her fleeing father’s baby. Nor do they protect her from the shady eyes of her neighbors. Though this book discuses negative and disturbing situations, it teaches a very positive lesson. The theme of The Bluest Eye is that of depending on outside influences to become aware of one’s own beauty and to fabricate one’s own self image can be extremely damaging. I feel that Toni Morrison showed this through each of her characters especially the obvious, Pecola Breedlove. One incident, for example, is when Claudia, Frieda, Pecola, and Maureen Peal, a well-loved â€Å"beauty† of Lorain, are walking home from school. As the girls saunter down the street, they begin to bicker. The conversation ends with Maureen stomping away and establishing the fact that she is indeed â€Å"cute†. Claudia then thinks to herself, â€Å"If she was cute--and if anything could be believed, she was--then we were not. And what did that mean? We were lesser. Nicer, brighter, but still lesser. Dolls we could destroy, but we could not destroy the honey voices of parents and aunts, the obedience in the eyes of our peers, the slippery light in the eyes of our teachers when they encouraged the Maureen Peals of the world. What was the secret? What did we lack? Why was it important? And so what?. . . And all the time we knew that Maureen Peal was not the Enemy and not worthy of such intense hatred.

How does Bennett reveal to us the character of Lesley; and how do we respond to her?

The character Lesley has been cleverly crafted by Bennett so that the audience can find humour in her inability to read people and situations, yet still pity her desperation for her big chance. By writing the play in monologue form the audience has access to Lesley's intimate feelings as the camera acts in a similar way to that of a confessional. This ensures that the audience can form their own opinion of Lesley. Bennett's Her big chance started in his series of six monologues called ‘Talking Heads'. The monologue form suits Lesley's character because if there were other visible characters, Lesley would find herself being terribly humiliated whereas as it is Lesley can manipulate what the audience are subjected to, through the monologue form. This subsequently means Lesley is not a very reliable narrator; the audience has to infer negative aspects of her character by reading between the lines. Likewise, a monologue only showcases one point of view so the playwright has to use great skill to incorporate other character's feelings through the main character, in this case, Lesley. In Lesley's monologue, the added opinions of others give the audience a better overview of Lesley's character. When Lesley â€Å"said to Scott, ‘I know why, they knew I had ideas about the part† and â€Å"he said, ‘They knew you had a 38-inch bust† the viewers are able to see that Lesley has no talent and is only good for the ‘fun loving' parts. Lesley then goes on to say Scott's ‘mother's confined to a wheelchair, he's got a lot on his plate', this proves Lesley's failure to interpret other's opinions of her, leaving her isolated as a result. On the other hand, Lesley could be more capable than the audience give her credit for and therefore she was just be dismissing Scott's blunt comment to save her from the harsh reality. All of Bennett's characters from ‘Talking Heads' are isolated and alone due to their particularity. Lesley has many idiosyncrasies which cause people to distance themselves from her. She is always trying to upgrade her small extra parts – ‘where you may have seen me, Simon, is in Tess. Roman Polanski. I played Chloe'. No one would have known who she was talking about because ‘Chloe was the one on the back of a farm cart wearing a shawl.' Basically she was only an extra but Lesley insists on describing her part by name as if everyone remembers that part because she, herself, gave such a memorable performance. Although she has never had a serious part, Lesley still persists in calling herself ‘professional to' her ‘fingertips' and fails to realise that the parts she does play are not so different from her, ‘fun-loving girls who take life as it comes' even if that means sleeping around to get a part. Invariably, Lesley takes pride in telling pe ople how to do their job, thinking that her contribution is important. Her inputs are always annoying little comments which doubt the capability of whom she is talking to like, â€Å"if it's a migraine rather than a headache Travis probably wouldn't be able to speak,' and Gunther said, ‘Whatever you say.† Not only does she interfere with the director's work but she then tells the audience that ‘it's wonderful, that moment, when you feel a director first begin to trust you and you really start to build.' Here she misreads the situation as Gunther probably didn't want her to talk because she is no good at acting and she only needed to look good anyway. Another thing Lesley hadn't realised was that with all her interfering over the making of the movie Gunther had probably figured by now out how to get what he wanted out of Lesley. An alternative example of this is going back to Lesley's audition where she couldn't help but make a suggestion, â€Å"reading generally indicates a studious temperament and I'm a very convincing reader†¦ because it's something I frequently do in real life.' I could tell he was impressed.† She then carries on just because Simon was acting impressed out politeness. Even when he was showing her out she didn't get the picture and suggested putting â€Å"Travis in a bikini and give her a briefcase.† Not only are these terrible ideas but she could have easily blown her audition if they based it on talent. The audience are able to see how others view her when Lesley had another thought and had to pop back. â€Å"He was on the phone. ‘You won't believe this,' he was saying.† Lesley saw this comment as a positive one as though her audition was incredible; the audience however are able to infer that Simon saw her audition as beyond belief and shocking. Lesley's constant use of jargon like ‘lower echelons', ‘p.o.v water-skis' and ‘we wrapped at about six (that's film parlance for packed up)' is arrogant and patronising it also implies Lesley is trying too hard to fit into a higher class of society as only people who aren't content with themselves feel the need to demean others. Additionally, Lesley uses â€Å"Ciao† and â€Å"that's interesting† excessively, it's as though she is trying to be more cultured or more ‘interesting', when in fact in just makes her seem unintelligent due to her lack of varied vocabulary. Bennett's humour is usually at the expense of others, similarly at Lesley's ignorance. At one point in the play Nigel mentions that the director Gunther is pleased with their progress because they are finally ‘cooking with gas', Lesley misreads this and says ‘does that mean its good†¦ because I prefer electricity.' This is a classic ‘bimbo' moment, created by Bennett, which the audience can use help them discover the true character of Lesley. Being vulnerable and naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve quite often leads Lesley to waking up in many strange rooms. It is pitiful that Lesley is so desperate and has no belief in herself that she feels she has to sleep with whoever it takes to get a part. This originates from her isolation, she possibly feels lonely and consequently the only way she feels wanted is if she constantly has one night stands. At the end of the play Lesley is back where she started, in her small desolate flat. This reveals to the audience despite having just performed in a movie she has gotten nowhere as a result. In a way, Lesley can also see this unkind truth as she ends by saying that she would like to ‘acquire another skill' like ‘selling valuable oil paintings' or ‘canoeing.' As she feels that the more you have to give the better you are as an actress. This in her case is true because she doesn't have much talent to give and is also a bad actress; it is also similar to her habit of sleeping with people. She gives them what they want and sometimes she'll get a part. She rounds off by saying ‘acting is really just giving.' This line sums up her career, which is quite a sad thought, but she only ever gets used and nothing really comes out of it, because she is left in her tiny flat again on her own. On the surface Bennett develops Lesley's character so the audience can only abhorred her and her traits, but underlying the viewers could quite possibly feel sympathetic towards her as despite all she went through she still didn't get her big chance.

Learning How and When to Say No

Learning to say no to people is one of the best things you can do for yourself, yet many people find it extremely difficult. Why? Because they want to be liked. The ironic thing is, people will like you better and respect you more if you say no when its appropriate! Why Say No 1. People will respect you. People who say yes to everything in an attempt to be liked are quickly recognized as pushovers. When you say no to someone you are letting them know that you have boundaries. You are showing that you respect yourself--and that is how you gain respect from others. 2. People will actually see you as more dependable. When you say yes only when you have the time and true ability to do a great job, then youll gain a reputation for being dependable. If you say yes to everything, youre bound to do a bad job at everything. 3. When youre selective with your tasks, youll sharpen your natural strengths. If you concentrate on the things youre good at, youll be able to improve on your natural talents. For example, if youre a great writer but youre not so great as an artist, you may volunteer to write speeches but you shouldnt sign up to make the posters for your club. Concentrate on your strength and build your skills (and your experience) for college. 4. Your life will be less stressful. You may be tempted to say yes to people in order to please them. In the long run, youre only hurting yourself and others when you do this. You stress yourself out by overloading yourself, and you experience increased stress when you realize youre bound to let them down. When to Say No First lets point out the obvious: Do your homework. You should never say no to a teacher, friend, or family member who is merely asking you to live up to your responsibilities. Its not okay to say no to a class assignment, just because you dont feel like doing it for some reason. This is not an exercise in cockiness. It is OK to say no when somebody is asking you to step outside your true responsibilities and outside your comfort zone to take on a task that is dangerous or one that will overload you and affect your academic work and your reputation. For example: If a teacher suggests that you become the president of a club that he or she is advising, but your schedule is already over-packed.If a popular athlete asks you to help with his/her homework and you dont have time.If anybody asks you to do their homework for them.If anybody asks you to give them information that was on a test (if they have a later class with the same teacher). It can be very difficult to say no to somebody whom you really respect, but youll find that you actually gain respect from them when you show enough courage to say no. How to Say No We say yes to people because its easy. Learning to say no is like learning anything: it seems really scary at first, but its so rewarding when you get the hang of it! The trick to saying no is doing it firmly without sounding rude. You must avoid being wishy-washy. Here are some lines you can practice: If a teacher asks you to take on more responsibility than you need: Thank you for thinking of me, but I will have to say no. Im just over-scheduled at this time.If a teacher asks you to do something you dont feel comfortable with: This sounds like it would be a great opportunity for somebody, but its not right for me.If somebody wants you to cheat: Sorry, I dont share my homework. That would get us both in trouble.If somebody tries to push work off on you: I just dont have the time to do a good job at that right now.If somebody tries to overload you with a task: I cant do that because I have an assignment due tomorrow.If somebody tries to unload a problem on you: I understand your situation, but I dont have an answer for you. When You Have to Say Yes There will be times when you want to say no but you can’t. If youre working on a group project, you have to take on some of the work, but you dont want to volunteer for everything. When you have to say yes, you can do it with firm conditions. A conditional yes may be necessary if you know you should do something but you also know you dont have all the time or resources. An example of a conditional yes is: Yes, Ill make the posters for the club, but I wont pay for all the supplies. Saying no is all about gaining respect. Gain respect for yourself by saying no when its necessary. Gain the respect of others by saying no in a polite way.