Climate change is the greatest threat facing the world’s children today. Instead of gaining and education or living in a safe life, children are enduring food insecurity and malnourishment on a daily basis.
Girl Pow-R’s song “Let’s Go Dancing” speaks to every child’s right to enjoy their childhood with uninhibited joy irrespective of geographical location.’
Creativity and self-expression are vital to each child’s well-being, and dancing is a fun way to get children active. Unfortunately, millions of children who lack food security are deprived of the joy of a happy childhood.
According to UNICEF’s first child-focused climate risk index, (a report with data showing how children across the globe are currently exposed to unprecedented hazards and traumas due to climate change), children in Central Africa, Chad, and Nigeria are among the most at risk of climate change.
With the increasing occurrence and severity of famines, floods, conflicts, the ongoing effects of COVID-19, and extreme weather, food security stands to be compromised, limiting the level of nutrition children can access.
‘Let’s Go Dancing’s second verse emphasizes the need for fun: “When the day is done, I wanna dance and have some fun.” Play is an important aspect of a child’s life. The joy derived from play is how children learn to think creatively, interact socially, and learn how to process the world.
Unfortunately, the uncertainties associated with climate change prevent many children from engaging in fun activities. Below are some of the benefits children derive from playing:
- Cognitive benefits: Healthy development and critical thinking skills
- Physical benefits: The development of their fine and gross motor skills
- Emotional benefits: Children learn to understand and process their emotions
To put it briefly, Girl Pow-R’s ‘Let’s Go Dancing’ highlights how play is pivotal to every child’s development. Therefore, addressing the challenge of food insecurity brought about by climate change is critical to safeguarding children’s right to lead healthy and fun-filled lives.
More than 30 million children in the 15 worst-affected countries suffer from severe malnutrition. Moreover, the situation is likely to deteriorate even further in 2023 if steps are not taken to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Safeguarding the children’s access to food will require agencies, individuals, and NGOs to proffer strategic and sustainable solutions to battle looming climate disasters.
Food and nutrition are a child’s fundamental human rights.
Communities, parents, political leaders, and global citizens are responsible for putting children’s needs at the heart of our food systems.
We must understand that climate change threatens to derail millions of children from reaching their full potential.
As Girl Pow-R rightly says, “When dancing, we won’t be blue.” We have an opportunity to chase the blues away by making a difference — Let us restore the joy of random acts of dancing to children worldwide.
If you want to know more about how Girl Pow-R positively impacts the world through music, contact info(at)girlpow-r.com or visit the Girl Pow-R website. Also, head to Spotify to check out their newest hit, “Let’s Go Dancing,” and watch their music videos on YouTube.