EARLY CHILDHOOD: When very young children miss out on proper nutrition, healthcare and stimulation, they find schooling difficult and this limits their future opportunities. Plan promotes early childhood programs to help children reach their full potential.

Here is an example of a Plan-funded Early Childhood Care and Development program in Indonesia.

Sahri, aged three, is one of 26 million children in Indonesia below the age of six. However Sahri, who lives with her family in a Plan-assisted community, is more likely to survive, grow up healthy and fully develop intellectually and emotionally because she receives healthcare, attends a kindergarten and receives supplementary feeding. With help from Plan, Sahri has a head start in life through Plan.s Early Childhood Care and Development program.

If children like Sahri, do not receive adequate healthcare, nutrition and early learning opportunities then when they attend primary school it can be difficult for them to absorb the lessons. As they struggle with school, they may also loose interest and drop out. As a result many children in rural villages can not read and write. These children grow into adults, who without an education have limited employment options.

Plan has been working in Indonesia since 1998 and its Early Childhood Care and Development projects have been central to its work. Plan has also formed a partnership with the Indonesian non-government organisation, Yayasan Anaprasa, which trains local villagers as pre-school teachers who then set up pre-school classes in their communities. Children who attend these classes develop their creativity, self-reliance and intelligence.

Parents also notice the changes, as their children come home with new behaviours such as washing their hands before meals, brushing their teeth, singing and taking care to only drink clean water. The link between health and hygiene is not well understood by villagers and through teaching children, these children can then teach their parents.

Plan also provides the funding for communities to build pre-schools or refurbish an old building. It also supplies furniture and learning and play equipment.

Plan's early childhood care and development projects such as those described above are funded by donations and partly from child sponsorships.