Plan International's VLSA loan aids teen mother

Denise has a daughter named Sandrine who is three-years-old. She got pregnant unexpectedly at 19, while she was still in school.

“I wasn’t expecting to get pregnant. I met someone and then, because I was poor and didn’t have enough money to support myself or buy the things that I needed, I got pregnant. We were neighbors –he was older than me, about 25 years old. When I found out about the pregnancy I asked him to support me, but he didn’t have enough money."

“I was rejected by my family because it was a disgrace for them. I was living with my mother and I gave birth there, but then I moved into my aunt’s home with my baby. I got involved in the loans program because people were talking about a local NGO who was helping young people to get out of poverty."

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When should a child be considered adult?

Why not ask a child?

Children across Vietnam have been given the chance to voice their opinions on when a young person should be officially refered to as an adult.

After campaigning via Vietnam’s Children’s Helpline and the internet, Plan Vietnam carried out child polling in 40 schools in 10 provinces during the months of August and September. This poll allowed them to collect data from an estimated 20,000 children.

In Vietnam, there is confusion in regards to the age at when a young person is is considered an adult. Working age, the age of consent, and marriageable age all differ and even within those examples, there is conflicting legislation that continues to complicate this issue.

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Plan International USA Awarded $1.5M Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Grant

Plan International USA was awarded a $1.5M grant to improve the quality of life of children affected by HIV/AIDS in Mozambique and Kenya. The grant, awarded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, will fund community-led programs to protect children’s rights and ensure healthy early childhood development.

Leveraging similar grant funding from Plan Finland and Plan Australia, the grant will specifically be
used to:

• Increase resources that address the needs of the youngest children living in communities with high prevalence of HIV/AIDS;
• Integrate early childhood care and development (ECCD) programming into Plan’s other health, education, and HIV/AIDS efforts; and
• Expand Plan’s reach to additional underserved communities.

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Marcia Cross: Help change the world

Actress and Plan Ambassador Marcia Cross recently visited India to see how Plan is helping to strengthen communities through programmes that focus on empowering girls.

As a mother of 2 young girls herself, Marcia strongly believes that everyone has the right to a good education and that by empowering girls we can change the world.

In October, Marcia helped light the Empire State Building in New York bright pink to kick off the global launch of Plan's Because I am a Girl campaign on the first ever international Day of the Girl.

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Helping three girls build their bright futures: Annet

When Annet’s father died, her world crumbled. So did her long-time dream of attending and graduating university.

“I was forced to drop out of school because my mother could not afford to pay my school fees,” explained 22-year-old Annet, living in Uganda.

“At times, my siblings and I slept on empty stomachs because there was no money to buy food and at one time, we were thrown out of our rented house because we had defaulted on paying rent.”

But when Annet enrolled in a Plan-supported vocational training project, a new dream began to form. The project supports thousands of young Ugandan women in situations similar to Annet’s, helping them discover their dreams and develop their own economic security.

“When I enrolled in the course, I was very happy. I told myself I will never be poor again,” said Annet, who is now employed as a hairstylist, earning $11 per day. In a country where most Ugandan’s survive on less than a dollar per day, Annet’s daily earnings have changed her life.

The vocational training project in Uganda supports young women, generally school drop-outs, ages 15 to 22. The students gain vocational skills in tailoring, hairdressing, art design, shoe making, or catering, and they learn how to use computers.

MetroXpress i Nairobis slum: En farlig legeplads

MetroXpress har besøgt vores projekter i Nairobis slum og bringer hver måned i 2012 en artikel derfra.

I november kan du læse, hvordan børn i slummen leger i dynger af affald og ved trafikerede veje. Det kan hurtigt udvikle sig til en farlig leg.

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The beginning of great change in Barouéli, Mali

Barouéli is one of the poorest communities in Mali, and Mali itself is among the 10 poorest countries in the world.

With few local schools and low literacy levels in Barouéli, education is one of the community’s top priorities. Thanks to Canadian sponsors, over 50 girls and boys are now enrolled in the community’s first pre-school.

Five hectares of land have been put aside for the construction of a new primary school. Building will begin early next year in time for a new school year.

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