Imagine a child born in Pakistan today. By the time they are an adult, they can only reach 41 percent of their potential due to the challenges they face, such as the lack of access to good health, education and nutrition, early stimulation and receptive care, and security.
The greatest loss in this potential occurs in the first years of life. It is as if a child begins life with the potential of a high -performance sports car, but because it does not obtain the appropriate fuel, maintenance or training, he/she could end up acting as a Dabba Suzuki in deterioration, with less than half of its capacity.
Children who have the best beginning in life are more likely to be happy, productive and socially integrated adults. Therefore, the first years of life are extremely important in human development. It is a time when more than one million neuronal connections are formed every second as children interact with their environments, a rhythm that is never repeated.
The quality of the first experiences of a child, especially the raising and stimulation he receives, makes a critical difference in the development of the brain and establishes the basis for behavior, learning, health and, ultimately, opportunities for life.
This makes early childhood a moment of great opportunity, but also of great risk because when children do not have the right conditions to prosper, the consequences can be serious for them and their families, as well as for society in general.
A pioneering study conducted by researchers from the Aga Khan University and the British Columbia University in Canada, published in the First Quarterly Research Magazine, studied the health of children’s development in the first years in Pakistan. The study survey thousands of children from three to eight years in 397 public schools in SINDH and discovered that one in four children in Pakistan is at risk of poor development and one in ten is at risk in at least one of development domains, such as physical, socio-motive or cognitive development.
The results also showed that children who experienced social disadvantages such as poverty, language, minority history and lower levels of maternal education were more at risk of poor development.
We know that children who grow in poverty that face numerous challenges, including inadequate nutrition, insecure housing conditions and the shortage of opportunities to play and learn, often have physical and mental health problems. Beyond these physical conditions, the stress of the parents that arises from the insecurity of income and the lack of education also negatively affect family dynamics, parenting styles and daily interactions with children.
Worse, these children who face adverse early childhood conditions are more likely to transmit these deprivations to future generations, continuing the intergenerational cycle of poverty.
It was demonstrated that children who speak only non -dominant languages other than Urdu, Sindhi and Punjabi in the study do more badly in social skills and cognitive and language development. Research has shown that the development and well -being of children are positively impacted when they learn and receive attention in their native language.
In addition, protection factors such as domestic wealth, higher levels of maternal education and a enriching home environment characterized by activities such as reading, storytelling and game were less common in homes where an indigenous minority or language was spoken.
These problems, from inadequate nutrition and insecure homes to the stress of the parents and the language barrier, are not isolated problems. Instead, a systemic problem stands out. The evidence shows that in countries where social and human development is not prioritized, children remain at risk of poor development or do not reach their total development potential. These disadvantages mean that some children are forced to carry more weight and jump on more obstacles than others in the race of life, creating undue stress and tension in both children, their families and their progeny. He takes him to ask: Is it a child’s fault to be born in a poor family? The answer is obviously, absolutely not. So, the urgent question becomes: What steps can we, as a community and a nation, take this field of play, really give all the children the strong start they deserve?
There is a proverb that a town is needed to raise a child. In Pakistan, with our strong collective cultural orientation and deep values of community life, our communities are uniquely positioned to be that ‘village’. This could begin by simply establishing improvised early learning centers, based on the community, using spaces easily available such as a Madrassa, a mosque, a wedding room or even a room or balcony in a neighbor’s house. Within these spaces, reading circles, tales and game groups can be offered in local languages online with our various cultural traditions of Pakistan, in addition to the exchange of ideas and advice to add to the daily routine of a child to enrich care. These programs, being deeply integrated into the local community, also offer a safe and accessible space for families, especially women to bring their children and, in turn, promote women’s empowerment. Ultimately, these basic efforts can be strengthened and institutionalized even more through associations between the Government, private organizations and academic institutions, ensuring sustainability and long -term impact. An adequate example of this model are the early childhood development centers in Chitral’s remote villages. These examples show that the coordinated basic efforts of civil society can play a crucial role in giving children in Pakistan a beginning in life they deserve and can also complement government efforts in this regard.
Investing in the first years is not just an idea to feel good; It is an intelligent economy. Global estimates show that for each rupe we spend on the early development of a child, things like good nutrition, early learning and a safe and enriching environment, we can expect a return of 13 times.
Salima Kerai is a postdoctoral fellow at the Global Children’s Health Center, the sick Children’s Hospital
