Those are staggering statistics. The worse I ever saw. 10 year olds, damn. And you know it was by someone older.

Yana, I wrote grant proposals for Community-based organizations for several years. I saw these statistics so often in what the USA likes to call "underserved" and disenfranchised communities.

In other words, communities where there is poverty and lack of resources. It was frustration. Teen pregnancy was a problem in all of these communities and so was substance abuse, low literacy rates, and large percentages of high school dropouts.

I read so many scientific models about risk factors vs. protective factors for youth. Numbers, percentages ran through my mind daily. And it all came down to one thing. One thing, the lack of community involvement in the lives of youth.

Yes, that old African Proverb, "Each one teach one" is true. And so is the other one, "It takes a village to raise a child." It true for America too.

Thank you so much for sharing this story. Sorry for writing a whole story in your comments. 🙏