Youth Issues

"If you can't see children's tears, can you see anything at all?
  If you can't hear children's cries, can you hear anything at all?
  If you can't feel children's pain, can you feel anything at all?"

Past International Director Phil Nathan, MD 105
Lions Services for Children Seminar (Bangkok 2008)

Millions of the world's children live with poverty and hunger, disabilities, chronic illnesses, lack of health care and education, HIV/AIDS, armed conflict, child trafficking, abandonment and many other life-threatening conditions.  For example, more than 150 million children age 3-18 are living as street children.

In 2010 close to 7.7 million children died before their fifth birthday. Every day, approximately 21,000 children die around the world, mostly due to preventable causes.  

The costs to society of failing its children are huge.  Social research findings show that children's earliest experiences significantly influence their future development.  The course of their development determines their contribution, or cost, to society over the course of their lives. (UNICEF) 

United Nations Millennium Development Goals
The UN Millennium Declaration, signed in 2000, commits world leaders to combat major threats to the well-being and development of the world's children.

The Eight Millennium Development Goals, to be achieved by 2015, are to:

• eradicate extreme poverty and hunger;
• achieve universal primary education;
• promote gender equality and empower women;
• reduce child mortality;
• improve maternal health;
• combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases;
• ensure environment sustainability;

• develop a global partnership for development.

How Lions Can Help

Lions Services for Children Program
Lions have a long tradition of helping the world's future generations. They have constructed schools, children's hospitals, orphanages, youth centers and more. Other Lions have provided food, clothing, educational opportunities, medical equipment and supplies, and other critical services. Today's children need Lions more than ever. Be a part of fulfilling the mission of this program:

To improve the lives of children and young adolescents in adverse circumstances through health and education services, locally and internationally.

Find out more about the Lions Services for Children Symposium Program, which can help Lions identify and address the needs of disadvantaged children and adolescents in their communities. Lions can complete the Community Needs Assessment, found in the Lions Children First Program Activity Guide, to determine the types of services that would most benefit underprivileged children in their areas.

Resources
Lions Clubs International Foundation 
World Health Organization (WHO)
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Convention on the Rights of the Child

For More Information
Health and Children's Services
Lions Clubs International
300 W. 22nd Street
Oak Brook, Illinois 60523-8842
E-mail: children@lionsclubs.org