Case study Plan and Nokia: Giving African children a voice

From radio shows to child helplines, watch the video to see how Plan's partnership with Nokia is helping children across Africa to speak out on child rights and bring about change.

Although there are 2 billion people under the age of 18 in the world they often have few opportunities to express themselves. Plan operates child media programmes in more than 30 countries worldwide to help children speak out on issues that matter to them using various mediums - such as radio, music and video.

The programmes give children the opportunity to gain self-confidence, make their voice heard and drive change in their community.

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Our future, our say

An important aspect of Plan’s approach is to encourage children to participate actively and genuinely in their own development. The dreams, opinions and frustrations featured here are echoed across the world as children demand progress on the promises made, insist that their rights are respected and call on world leaders to do the job that they and their predecessors committed to undertake.

Children have fundamental rights, not least of which is the right to participate in their own development. To do this genuinely, they need appropriate opportunities to address decision-makers at all levels, from parents to world leaders.

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Case study: Bangladeshi street children share their dreams

Bangladeshi street children had a chance to tell the world about their dreams by showing off their pictures in an art exhibition held at the Bangladesh National Museum in Dhaka, the capital city.

Some 28 street children created 80 pieces for the 'Our Dreams Drawn' exhibition held 2-4 June to raise awareness of their plight. About 400,000 girls and boys live on the streets of Dhaka and are often excluded from basic services like healthcare and education.

“I drew butterflies because I want to be like them,” said Kakoli, one of the artists. “They are so colourful and happy. And now I am very happy that my picture has been sold. I will keep the money and use it for starting a beauty parlour when I grow up.”

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Turn up the volume

Turn up the volume reports on Plan’s youth media projects around the world and looks into their impact.
 
Media projects involving children and young people are both fun and beneficial for the children who participate. They can generate many positive spin-offs at the individual and community level – and for society at large.
 
There is a need to hear from the most vulnerable, who are seldom consulted by the adults around them. To address the needs of children and young people, it is vital to involve them and let them speak for themselves. These projects provide an essential platform for children and young people to speak out about their own circumstances and experiences, using their own words.

Case study: Girls speak out at UN

A delegation of girls from poor rural communities across the world are sharing the harsh reality of their lives at a United Nations meeting in New York.

The 9 Plan-supported teenagers from Cambodia, Cameroon, Malawi, Pakistan and Sierra Leone will tell the Commission on the Status of Women* (CSW), of the daily challenges girls face in their communities – from early and forced marriage to polygamy and domestic violence.

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Child and youth media

Plan operates close to 60 child media programmes in over 30 countries to help children speak out and promote their rights.

Producing their own media - such as radio, music and video - is often revolutionary for many children, providing them with the chance to gain self-confidence, make their voice heard and communicate with each other.

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Child participation: what we do

Plan helps millions of children to learn about their rights and speak out about issues that affect them.

Children have the right to take part in decision-making but all too often their involvement is limited or non-existent.

From setting up local youth groups to supporting young delegates at international conferences, we help children to express their views and influence decision-makers. By strengthening their confidence and leadership skills – through projects such as media and journalism – we support children to lead advocacy initiatives and make positive change.

We also work with their families and communities so they understand how important it is for children to have a voice and contribute as active citizens.

Plan delivers targeted programmes so that we can reach the most marginalised and vulnerable groups, including those outside of school, younger children and children with disabilities. We also support children’s and youth organisations in monitoring government implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Child participation

Plan's work to promote child rights and lift millions of children out of poverty is based around 8 core areas: education, health, water and sanitation, protection, economic security, emergencies, child participation and sexual health, including HIV. With that comes the three main campaigns Because I am a Girl, Count Every Child and Learn Without Fear.

Over the next year one of these areas or campaigns will be the focus for one month each.

The focus of September is Child participation.