Children are the future of nation-building as well as its growth. The family and society are

usually committed to providing every advantage possible to the children and ensuring that

they are healthy and have the opportunities that they need to fulfill their potential.

Communities vary relatively in their responsibility to the collective health of children and in

the resources they make available to meet children's needs, particularly during their

adolescence. Like the horseshoe crab that has outgrown one shell but has not yet produced a

new one, adolescence in the human lifespan is a time of transition. It may also be a time of

greater vulnerability and stress; but just as surely, it may be a time of wonder, change, and

positive growth. Some find it overwhelming; others move through it with relative calm.