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Our plan in China
Plan is working at the grassroots level in China with local partner, the Shaanxi Women’s Federation, and local authorities to help communities make real and lasting change, so that their children have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Sponsor a child in China.
Plan has worked in China (population 1.3 billion) since 1995 and currently runs five child-centred community development programs which aim to address the following issues affecting children:
- Insufficient access to quality child and maternal health care
- Low family income
- Limited access to clean water, sanitation and environment
- Poor access to quality education (pre-school, primary and secondary)
- Inadequate protection for vulnerable children and low child participation
Plan’s programs and strategies to address these issues include:
Child and maternal health care
Children in rural China, in particular have limited access to quality community health services. In addition, their health is often undermined due to their parent’s lack of health knowledge. Plan’s Child and maternal health care program aims to improve the quality of community healthcare and increase community awareness of health issues. Helping local authorities to train low cost village doctors and develop school-based health curricula is also part of this program.
Family income
Although economic and social development in China is booming, the rural areas have mostly missed out: many rural families still struggle to survive. However, Plan’s Sustainable Livelihood program is helping women, families and community members improve their incomes through training and a micro-finance lending scheme. The program is providing training in sustainable agriculture; loans to buy farm animals; the resources to grow higher value crops; and loans to open small businesses. Training is also provided on financial management and marketing. And vocational courses are offered to young people
Water, sanitation and the environment
Many of the children and their families where Plan works live in areas that are affected by drought and have little or no basic sanitation. Plan’s Water, Environment and Sanitation Improvement program provides training, resources and technical support to communities so they have the means to set up clean water and sanitation systems. Community members including children also promote environmental sanitation and good hygienic behaviours.
Education
Children living in rural areas often do not have access to quality education compared to their big city cousins. Plan’s Education program aims to improve education by supporting local education authorities to develop effective teaching and learning methods. This also includes improving teacher training, ongoing support to schools and providing opportunities for children and parents to participate in how their school is managed. The program also aims to help set up more pre-schools, which are presently rare in rural China.
Child protection and child participation
Children, especially vulnerable children in difficult situations such as orphans, children of migrant workers, children affected by HIV and AIDS and disabled children do not have adequate protection and support. Rural communities and especially children all over China, often do not have the opportunity to participate in making decisions that affect their lives. Plan’s Advocating for children’s rights program aims to provide children with the skills to improve their own lives, to participate in social development, and to access relevant information and have their views heard. Through this program, Plan also aims to raise awareness of and advocate for a legal protection network against child abuse and neglect and campaigns for birth registration of all rural children.
See Plan's work in progress
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