Plan Sri Lanka Annual Review 2013
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Contents Year in review by the Country Director
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Plan International
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Plan Sri Lanka
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Our Strategy
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Plan Sri Lanka 3rd Country strategic plan
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Our partners
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Our programme highlights
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Our country programmes: Interventions and achievements
10-29
Events 30-31
Photo /content Š Plan
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Year in review by the Country Director children in school don’t have to interrupt their studies because there is not a clean and safe latrine to use when needed. This is critical for adolescent girls. The second is working with partners. Plan does not work in isolation. Plan works hand in hand with the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure that our work strengthens the initiatives that are already started, making them more effective and sustainable. We are very proud of our work in early childhood care and development (ECCD) that highlights this.
Dear Friends and Colleagues, This is Plan Sri Lanka’s report for 2013. It highlights the work that the organization did in the country during the year with children their families and communities, the work that was done with partners, including the Government of Sri Lanka from the Grama niladaris to the national ministries. In the course of the year Plan saw many successes in programmes that address issues of health, protection, learning, economic security and preparedness for disaster. I want to bring your attention to three things that I feel give the most information about Plan’s work in Sri Lanka. The first is working with young people, their families and communities with an intended focus on gender issues. Sri Lanka has achieved success in addressing many of the needs of the young. School enrolment rates and prevention of childhood illnesses through vaccination and growth monitoring are probably the best in the region. Plan’s focus on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) ensures
The third thing is working over the long term. The programmes mentioned above, ECCD and WASH were not done in a year. They are started, adjusted and improved, always with inputs from young people, communities and government partners. Over the past 4 years Plan has been working with communities, the Ministry of Health, local NGOs and a Sri Lankan university to develop and implement a family health programme to address malnutrition in children from 0-5 years old. The programme is doing that, and at the same time building a strong relationship between Public Health Midwives and community families, especially moms. It reaped many benefits in 2013 and with anticipated scale up will help more in the future. I hope you enjoy reading this report. Any suggestions you have for me or any of Plan Sri Lanka team please do share them. I and the Team have enjoyed working with you in the past year, and look forward to the year to come.
Edward T. (Ned) Espey Country Director
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Plan International Plan is an international humanitarian, child-focused development organization founded in 1937. Plan is inclusive of all without consideration of religious, political or government affiliations. Plan worldwide works with almost 90,000 communities and 78 million children in 50 low or middle income countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas. Plan’s work is guided by the convention on the Rights of the Child. The convention, which defines a child as a person below the age of 18, sets out the rights that all children have. We believe that there is a link between poverty reduction and access to rights.
Source - Plan Worldwide Annual Review 2013
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Plan Sri Lanka Plan started its operations in Sri Lanka in 1981 on the invitation of the Government of Sri Lanka. We work with 113240 children, 94461 families and 296 communities across 8 districts in 4 Provinces. The administrative divisions in which we work are selected through a rigorous analysis of information on poverty and its implications for children and youth. Our projects are implemented through 4 programme Units (PUs): North Central PU, in the districts of Anuradhapura, Kurunegala and Mannar; the Central PU in Kandy and Nuwara Eliya; the Uva PU in the Moneragala and Ampara districts; and the Eastern Programme Office in the Batticaloa district. We work in partnership with children and youth and their families and communities, relevant state institutions and civil society organizations to improve the lives of children and youth.
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Our strategy Plan’s programme approach of Child Centered Community Development (CCCD), is broadly defined as a process in which children and youth and their families and communities lead the process of planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating projects that address the structural causes of child poverty. The processes of CCCD therefore recognize the importance of mobilizing development partners to work together to address issues of children and youth to make lasting improvements in their lives. The application of the approach is through six strategies and six principles that are mutually complementary. The application of the following strategies is seen in all of Plan Sri Lanka’s programmes. Plan believes that every young person should have the chance to be an active citizen –shaping the communities around them. Anchoring programmes in the community The community roots are an organisational asset of Plan and define Plan’s identity. All projects are discussed and planned in the community through a consultative process with all partners. Plan also promotes the active participation of communities in local planning processes, in mobilizing resources for projects and supporting them to link their development plans with regional and national development plans of the government. Holding state actors accountable
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Plan recognises the significant role of the corporate sector as an emerging development partner. Our experience of working with children and young people can be a basis for productive collaboration with the social responsibility programmes of corporations.
As development interventions take place at multiple levels a positive policy and operating ambience is vital. Therefore Plan works with development partners to identify gaps in policies and laws, and the way they are translated to action and to bridge these gaps. These efforts are sustained through strong partnerships that Plan has established over the years with the state institutions at the national and provincial levels. Strengthening capacity of civil society
We work with all relevant state institutions to ensure that services, opportunities and resources reach all male and female children and youth equitably and that positive change in their lives are sustained. Engaging the corporate sector
Advocacy
We work with civil society organisations to provide services, build capacity to promote participation, and empower communities in their development.
Working in partnership for greater impact Plan’s experience has shown that forging meaningful partnerships for sharing resources, expertise and manpower is the best way to reach as many children as possible and optimize the positive changes that we make.
Plan Sri Lanka 3rd Country strategic plan In 2013, Plan Sri Lanka completed nearly 3 years of its 3rd Country strategic plan which covers the period from 2012-2016. The strategic plan was developed following an extensive and intensive process of research on the status of children in Sri Lanka and participatory consultations with children, communities, representatives of the public sector departments and institutions, partner organizations and civil society. Building on Plan’s experience of developing and implementing previous CSPs, Plan recognizes the need to focus on key areas of expertise and do what we do best. We are always mindful of targeting populations so that those who do not receive the equal level of services, opportunity and resources benefit from what we do. This has positioned us in the current operating locations in Sri Lanka and has defined what we do in our programmes. The following are what we do best. • Facilitating a community mobilization process so that children aged 0-5 years receive adequate care and a wide range of early stimuli to address malnutrition, • Children receive a good-quality early learning and primary education, • Children are protected by adults at all times but children also know how to protect themselves, • The parents of children have opportunities for economic development and are supported for better parenting, • Youth have the vital support they need to enter the labour force and contribute to national development. • Children live in resilient communities that adopt and cope with climate change and natural disasters.
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Our partners Our partnerships are an integral part of our strategies and we have worked diligently over a long period of time to make them meaningful enough to deliver projects together and sustain positive outcomes. Such partnerships are also a source of learning as there is sharing of experiences and expertise. Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Affairs Plan works with a range of partners who are responsible for child focused development in the country. These partners are defined in our strategies and we make a special effort to forge meaningful partnerships. We especially value the partnership with the Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Affairs which is the apex body to enact the necessary regulations, processes and practices that ensures the protection and development of children. The key focus of this collaboration is to give children an opportunity for early learning which facilitates the transition to formal school and provide protective environment for all children. Through the partnership, Plan has initiated a large number of projects at national, provincial and community level. The partnership has extended to include the various childcare and development institutes, such as the Children and Women’s Bureau of the Sri Lanka Police, the Department of Child Care and Probation and professional bodies. Ministry of Health Plan’s programme on family health and nutrition is implemented with guidance and key inputs from the Ministry of Health and health authorities at the provincial and local level. Plan’s community based health promotion strategy is applied at the level of the medical officer of health (MOH) division, working through the government health care delivery system and implemented with the Public Health Midwives network.
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Ministry of Education The focus of Plan’s primary education programme is to promote the concept of the child-friendly school which looks at education with a holistic approach. It also gives an opportunity for students to acquire competencies by participating in selected activities related to school governance. This also ensures the inclusion of all children in the teaching-learning process. According to the definition of Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Education a child friendly school proactively fulfils all the rights of all children as defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In all its operational areas, Plan Sri Lanka collaboratively works with the Ministry of Education and departments of education to make schools child friendly. The Provincial Governments Plan’s key implementation partners at the provincial level are the respective Provincial Councils where Plan works. We have solid partnerships with provincial authorities in education, health, probation and childcare, water supply and disaster management in Uva, North Central, Central, and Eastern provinces. Replicating our positive partnerships in other provinces Plan intends to study the systems and structures in the Northern Province, where we have commenced work to build positive partnerships. Ministry of Water Supply and Drainage The Ministry of Water Supply and Drainage and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, which falls under the purview of the ministry, have long-term relationships with Plan at national and regional levels. These two institutions are Plan’s main partners who provide technical support for community water supply and sanitation and aspects of school water supply, sanitation and hygiene programmes. Furthermore, Plan has engaged with the National Water Supply and Drainage Board to develop local statutes, capacitate regional units of rural water supply and sanitation and in supporting national level initiatives of the South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN), the World Water Day and Global Hand Washing Day every year.
Our programme highlights
Children’s health
Early childhood care and development
School water and sanitation
Child protection
340 health workers
17, 241 community
630 Community volunteers
including public health
volunteers and parents trained.
39 school water and sanitation units for girls, boys and teachers, 2 disabled
midwives were trained in health promotion. Out of the
trained.
friendly water and sanitation units
135
constructed benefitting
4,900 girls,
5,000 boys, 100 male teachers and 220 female teachers. 200 schools received training in
villages covered under the health promotion programme,
115 villages (nearly 85%)
operations and maintenance of school
engaged in productive
water and sanitation facilities.
community collectives. see pages 10-13
see pages 14 -17
see pages 14 -17
see pages 18-21
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Our country programmes: Interventions and achievements Healthy start to life Plan’s goal: Foster growth and development of children in their early childhood from 0-5 years by a life cycle approach.
Plan Sri Lanka’s programme on health adopts a community– health workers based health promotion strategy including public health to focus on under-nutrition midwives were trained in health among children aged between 0-5 years. A community-based promotion. Out of the model of health promotion villages covered under the refers to a strategic package of health promotion programme, interventions aimed at multiple villages (nearly 85%) levels that empowers children and community members, engaged in productive particularly women, to be community collectives. change agents; health officials to work closely with communities; provincial and national health authorities to significantly scale up the programme across the country; and factor in elements of community engagement and success of community best practices in health into national health policies and action plans.
340
135
115
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Groups of parents and children were engaged in planning, designing, implementing and monitoring local collective responses to address locally identified factors affecting under-nutrition among children. Community groups worked in partnership with the Public Health Midwife, Plan and the partners. Skills of the field health workers of the Department of Health have improved to work with the community groups on top of their existing skills to work for them. This was done through a capacity building process which consisted of formal training sessions, field-based coaching and mentoring, exposure visits and demonstration sessions. The active groups of community members who were engaged in community level processes of health promotion and demonstrated competencies of improving the health of their communities became members of a Health Promotion Advocacy Network (HaPAN) an advocacy group that was initiated and facilitated by Plan Sri Lanka and the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka.
Promoting collective community action Some of the factors that communities identified as affecting the under nutrition of children included, poor feeding practices, lack of early intellectual stimulation, poor support from the male members of the family in childcare, violence against women and children, and male-dominant household finances. When the programme started in 2010, as a measure to address the factors affecting under nutrition, communities initiated collective actions such as happy child diary, baby rooms, collective feeding, simulation and play in nearly 135 village settings in 10 Medical officer of health divisions in Moneragala, Anuradhapura and Matale districts where Plan works. As a result, the prevalence of underweight children was seen to have significantly reduced in many villages where such action was taking place. In Weherayaya in the Uva province, the percentage of underweight children has reduced from 18.8 to 6.3, which indicates a figure below the national average. Similarly, the percentage of low birth weight babies had reduced from 13.5 per cent to Mothers have kept records of food given to their children during the day. They called these records “happy child diary” and also included details of various kinds of intellectual stimuli they provided to the child. The community adopted the idea of “Baby rooms” for stimulating brain development of infants and young children. Fathers were engaged in making most of these play areas. Men’s groups also advocated with other men to share household responsibilities with their wives. Groups of men and women acted collectively to reduce domestic violence through implementing “happiness calendar”.
7.4 per cent, again, much below the national average. Some communities have even showed phenomenal results by reducing the percentage of underweight children from 56 per cent to 15 per cent in just over one year. Overall, in intervention settings percentage of underweight children reduced from 45% to 25%. Scaling up Plan continued to engage the Provincial Departments of Health, Foundation for Health Promotion and the communities to significantly scale-up the programme across the districts where Plan is working. As of June 2013, more than 3,100 families with a child below the age of 5 years have adopted World Health Organization has expressed their support to a baby room, more than replication and scale up 3,500 families of the model throughout are engaged in the country. collective feeding initiatives in their communities and most importantly, around 1,000 men are involved in childcare activities including feeding and providing early stimulation, in areas where Plan works. Communities continue to monitor growth of children and their development milestones. With the rapid and significant change brought about by the novel health promotion methodology, the Department of Health in Uva and North Central Provinces invited Plan to support to scale up the programme beyond Plan working areas.
National Nutrition Action Plan 2013-16. While the National Health Advisor was a member of the technical advisory group, Plan and the Presidential Secretariat facilitated community members from HaPAN to give their inputs in the high level workshop to develop the “Multi-sector action plan on nutrition.” This was the first time in Sri Lanka where community members were a part of a technical advisory group in developing a national level action plan on nutrition. National recognition It was a unique event in Sri Lanka when community members who were part of the HaPAN network were recognized by the Senate of Rajarata University for their efforts in working as a community group that demonstrated competencies in collective action to promote the health of children. This was based on the quality of their work and evidence based results. Recently 8 representatives who received university awards received honours for their collective action from His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka. The awards were presented to the community members on the 6th December 2013 by the Honourable Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament on behalf of His Excellency the President, at the ceremonial launch of the National Multi-sector Nutrition Action Plan 2013-2016.
Influencing national policy The In recognition of the potential impact of this methodology, the National Nutrition Secretariat of the Presidential Secretariat invited Plan to be a member of its technical advisory group to develop Sri Lanka’s 11
Counting light bulbs This is the story of a group of community heath
champions in Maligawila in Moneragala where Plan works. All of them are mothers, in their mid 20s to 30s with 2 or 3 children. “Five of us in our neighbourhood participated in a health camp that was organized in our temple by Plan Sri Lanka. There we learnt the real meaning of health. We got to know the importance of children’s nutrition and became more and more concerned. As a group, we
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identified that most babies under 5 years in our village, were of lower weight for many reasons. We started making record books of what, and how we fed our children. We made little play houses in the garden. We also made little toys for them using pieces of wood and old cloth. While feeding them, we gave children time to play and showed them the trees, birds, flowers in the garden. We fed all their 5 senses. We saw big changes in their weight and their behaviour. They are smart and healthy.”
The mothers are happy, confident, highly expressive, passionate and ready to reach out to communities beyond their village and offer a helping hand. “We want to take this message to the whole country. We want all children to be healthy and happy.” Plan works with communities to improve the nutrition of children under 5 years of age, using health promotion to lead empowered communities to own and participate in initiatives to improve their health.
Making history: Community members recognized by a leading University in Sri Lanka
Community health promotion advocates receive the highest award
“As a first time Mother, I was nervous as how to feed solid food for my child. In order to find answers I joined the Mother’s group in the village. Through the group, I learnt how to maintain daily notes about my child. I kept notes not only on what the child eats, but also other activities he does. I am happy to say that my child and children in my neighbourhood have not only gained weight but also enjoy their feeding and are generally happier” J. A. Manjula a young mother from Anuradhapura, in the North Central Province.”
His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka recognizes efforts of HaPAN members
Recently at a colourful award ceremony in Colombo, community members including those like Manjula, received certificates from the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka for demonstrating their competencies in collective action to promote health of children and families in their communities.
The community members of the HaPAN network received honour for their collective action on health from His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka. The awards were presented to the community members by the Honourable Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament on behalf of His Excellency the President at the ceremonial launch of the National Multi-sector Nutrition Action Plan 2013-2016 on 6th December 2013.
Dr. P. Mahipala, Director General of Health, Prof. Diyanath Samarasinghe of Colombo University’s Department of Psychological Medicine, Mr. Ned Espey, Country Director of Plan Sri Lanka graced the occasion as special guests while, Dr. F R Mehta, Resident Representative of the WHO in Sri Lanka was the Chief Guest. Dr. Mehta congratulated the community members for their untiring efforts and the authorities for creating a willing environment. Provincial Directors of Health from all provinces, and 25 Regional Directors of health were among the special invitees.
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Quality education Plan’s goal: For children to ensure their right to quality early learning and basic school education, with proper water, sanitation and hygienic environment in the schools.
Plan Sri Lanka’s programme in education is focused on early childhood care and development (ECCD) and a primary education programme aligned with the government’s childfriendly school framework. Early learning is seen as an opportunity of breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty and therefore has an integrated approach that looks at the institutional and family support that children receive to reach their full potential. The focus has also been on children in need of special support due to disability to provide them with the head start they need in education. The overall programme is aimed at improving the readiness levels of children for the smooth transition from preschool to primary education and creating opportunities to start their formal education in a child-friendly school environment. The education programme also promotes age appropriate and gender sensitive school water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and practices in order to ensure a hygienic school environment for all children. Programmes are implemented with schools, education authorities, families, and children. What is most evident in this programme is the partnerships that have been forged with relevant sector partners such as the national and provincial level ministries of education and health, the environmental authorities, the water supply and drainage board, the institutions that are responsible for ECCD in the provinces that we work, the preschool teacher federations and parents groups. The partnerships are long standing and complement the capacities and expertise of each other.
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Early Childhood Care and Development Manual for guided play A Teacher’s manual was developed for the first time in Sri Lanka jointly by Plan and the provincial educational authorities that brings in standardized teaching-learning applications and processes across the country. By now six out of the nine provinces in the country have adopted the manual and nearly 600 preschool teachers were trained on the use of the manual. Supporting governance in ECCD The Northwest, Central, Uva and Eastern Provinces are developing their ECCD long-term corporate plans to design high quality early childhood education programmes. Plan also supported to establish ECCD authorities in provinces where we work. In Uva, a provincial ECCD authority, a model pre-school and a pre-school teacher training institute is in place with close to 70% contribution from the provincial council implying greater ownership and sustainability of the projects. Including the excluded As inclusive service delivery is a priority in ECCD Plan has forged a partnership with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Kelaniya to run a pilot project which assesses children at an early age to detect learning difficulties and hearing impairments among preschool children. The project also involves the development of resource material for training of preschool teachers to help them work with children with disabilities. Understanding the role of parents in early learning Plan as an organization has defined a broad framework for ECCD which recognizes the vital role parents play in early learning. Therefore Plan has developed a training guide for trainers who work with parents to ensure that they build on the knowledge, positive behaviours, attitudes and practices of parents and they too are better supported for parenting. Knowing change Knowing what has changed is so vital for good programming. Therefore an ECCD assessment tool kit was developed by Plan and is being continuously used to assess children’s readiness to enter formal education. The system is used in Uva, North Central and Central provinces. Sri Lanka has also developed early learning standards and Plan is in the process of working with partners to take it to the parents.
Child friendly schools The focus of the Plan–supported primary education programme is to promote the child-friendly school framework. Under the programme, all schools in the North Central province have completed their self-assessment processes and identified issues relating to the children’s achievement levels and developed their plans to address them. Throughout the assessments, the voice of students, communities, teachers and other well wishers were factored into the entire process. Plan supported the training of all principals, in-service advisors and planning officers in the Uva Province on the application of the child friendly school concept to improve the monitoring and supervision of the application of the child friendly processes and strengthen their managerial skills.
Responding to Post Conflict recovery Plan’s interventions in the areas subject to conflict are currently focused on ECCD and primary education. Plan has supported the construction of a building in the school complex of the Kurunchamunai Tamil mixed school in Batticaloa and the school is now functioning.
Inclusive water, sanitation and hygiene promotion programme in schools The school water, sanitation and hygiene promotion programme is designed within the child friendly school framework and includes menstrual hygiene management, waste management, school-led water safety plans, strengthening school development societies and school health promotion clubs. Building capacity and improving knowledge of school administrators, education officials at zonal, divisional and provincial levels are also means of ensuring efficient and effective delivery of the services.
39 school water and sanitation units for girls, boys and teachers, 2 disabled friendly water and sanitation units constructed benefitting
4,900 girls,
5,000 boys, 100 male teachers and 220 female teachers. 200 schools received training in operations and maintenance of school water and sanitation facilities.
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Happy and confident Thakshila back at school fighting all odds Fifteen year old Thakshila is special in many ways. Challenged by her physical disabilities, she could not walk nor play like her friends. She had to be carried or someone should help her with the wheel chair to move about. This made her very uncomfortable in the school. She couldn’t use the latrine facilities in the school that her friends used. Soon her attendance to school dropped. It was only after her friends wanted to find out how they can improve the school to be child friendly, they realized that children like Thakshila need special facilities within the school.
They also realized that girls and boys in the school need separate sanitation facilities so they have the privacy they need and the hygienic conditions so important. As a result of the assessment carried out by the students, school authorities worked with Plan to provide a complete water and sanitation system for the school that is suitable for different ages, special needs of children, and also taking the different needs that exist for girls and boys into consideration. The facilities not only gave girls like Thakshila with special needs the privacy and space they need at school, it also gave recognition and respect for disability. This gave an opportunity to Thakshila to demonstrate that she is like any other child. Today, Thakshila is a happy child and her attendance to school has improved. Most of all she is happy for her group of friends who are supportive to her and are concerned of her needs. Thakshila has very special skills in drawing and has volunteered to paint health messages on the walls of the new latrines built. She actively participates in extra curriculum activities in the school.
"I am very happy in school. I can move about
like my friends. Most of all, I have become so popular and elected as secretary of school health club.
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"
Preschool manual launched in Batticaloa
Plan Sri Lanka hands over publication on SACOSAN to the Minister of water supply and drainage
Plan’s first project in the North
Plan Sri Lanka and the Eastern Provincial Council organized the official launch of Teachers manual on early childhood care and development for the Eastern Province in Batticaloa on the 13th August.
Plan Sri Lanka Country Director, Ned Espey handed over Plan’s recent publication titled, “Voices of Children at SACOSAN IV” to Hon. Dinesh Goonewardena, Minister of Water Supply and Drainage at the Ministry on 12th September.
The Government of Japan provided assistance for the 'Project for Improving Educational Environment of Mannar North Echchalawakkai Primary School' under its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project. This is Plan’s first initiative in the post conflict areas in the North.
Hon. Chief Minister of Eastern Province, preschool officials, Plan staff, partners, teachers and children participated at the event. The introduction of the manual will enhance the capacity of nearly 3,800 teachers and benefit nearly 58,000 children in the province.
The publication highlights Plan’s key engagement at the conference that promoted the role and voice of children at the conference. Through the involvement of Plan, children from South Asia got the opportunity to participate in discussions and in the final conference declaration.
The grant contract was signed between His Excellency Nobuhito Hobo, Ambassador of Japan and Ned Espey, Plan Sri Lanka Country Director on 5th December.
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Creating protective environment for children Plan’s goal: All children realise their right to protection from abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence
630
Community volunteers trained
Plan works to ensure that all children are safe and protected from all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence. Over the years we have learnt that reinforcing family and community responsibility to safeguard their own children and capacitating the children to protect themselves is vital as systems and service providers cannot do it alone. However, we also recognize the equal value of coordinated and efficient systems to protect our children. Coordinated efforts among child protection professionals and institutions at divisional, district, provincial and national levels are difficult to forge but such challenges are also the mainstay of development. Therefore we campaign for and advocate scaling up good practices. We also promote approaches and processes on child protection by establishing efficient and effective models of childfriendly procedures using multi-sectoral approaches responding to incidents of abuse, neglect or violence. Plan helps children and young people to acquire skills and knowledge that will help them to protect themselves. 18
Training community volunteers to work with vulnerable children and families Plan conducts trainings for community volunteers to help them work with vulnerable children and families. As a result, the knowledge, attitudes and skills of the volunteer groups were improved to work with children in difficult circumstances; getting children involved in community level initiatives; and on norms and ethics that needs to be followed when working with children and vulnerable groups. A total of 630 community volunteers received training and ready to work.
Activities at multiple levels with different partners have worked quite well and produced stronger results. Increase in number of incidents of child abuse and neglect reported and referred to Children and Women’s
Activities for children to enhance resilience and life skills Children usually take a non active role in programmes promoting chid protection although they are the final beneficiary. In order to develop children’s life skills that prepares them to take charge of their own protection, Plan Sri Lanka specifically developed projects in and around children’s clubs. The activities provided opportunities for children to initiate and lead their own projects such as children’s libraries, resource centers to improve their skills to support more vulnerable children. Nearly 4,000 children benefitted from these skill building initiatives.
Plan advocates for a multi-sectoral approach for the prevention of harm, and the response to and management of victims of child abuse. A sizeable number of 500 child protection professionals, including child rights promoting officers, Probation and childcare officers, Police officers and counsellors received training and awareness through Plan’s programme.
police desk, Child rights promoting officers and Probation officers.
Improved capacity of community volunteers to identify and support vulnerable families and children,
Building on knowledge and positive practices of parents, caregivers and youth groups Community members who were trained to work with children took leadership in conducting community level awareness sessions for parents, caregivers and youth groups. They conducted awareness sessions on maintaining positive family relationships, better communication with children and understanding their issues; becoming a responsible adult and a role model for their children; avoiding harmful practices such as alcohol and cigarette addiction and drug abuse; and, accessing child protection services available to parents and families. A total of 2,500 participants attended community level awareness sessions during the year.
Capacity building of child protection professionals and institutions
including friendly advice for families with consistent disruptions, sending children back to school and providing them with required educational materials and equipment.
Functional children’s clubs and groups were established that gave opportunity for young children to develop their media and life skills. At divisional and district levels the following outcomes were visible:
better coordination among the
district and divisional child protection
officers
better functioning of divisional child
protection committees
At the national level:
Multi-sectoral guideline for the
management of cases of child abuse
and neglect
Integrated systems that respond to children and their families As a result of extensive work between Plan Sri Lanka and medical authorities, practitioners and community, the Sri Lanka Colleague of Paediatricians together with Plan Sri Lanka launched the “Multi-sectoral guidelines for the management of child abuse and neglect” on 4th December 2013 in Colombo. The multisectoral approach ensures all responsible stakeholders work together to ensure a system that is responsive to children who have been abused. Such a system also prepares and supports parents, families, communities and schools to integrate children to their homes and communities and ensure that they have equal opportunity and acceptance void of stigma and rejection. Another important milestone of the project was the provision of comprehensive care through a ‘safe, secure care home’ for children subject to abuse and neglect. The laying of the foundation for the first “care home” attached to the North Colombo Teaching Hospital in Ragama, was done together with Plan and the hospital authorities recently. This special care unit will be dedicated to provide psycho social rehabilitation and support for children subject to abuse.
Building capacity of police officers
and social workers in probation and
childcare services.
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A Library makes meaningful engagement of children’s development and learning Young Aruna Prasanna is sitting for his Grade 12 exam to qualify for higher studies. As he comes from a family that has limited financial resources and assets, Aruna gets a head start with the presence of Plan staff at an early stage in his life. Being integrated to community development processes in the community and benefiting from his positive interactions with peers has been a life opportunity for Aruna. In addition acquiring skills through training on child protection and engagement in a meaningful community activity as the library, has shown him that there are new opportunities to change his life through education. Aruna now wants to convert this popular lerning hub to a well equipped resource centre. He also wants to study well and enter the university.
"I am Aruna Prasanna studying in grade 13. My father died when I was quite young. I live with my mother and my only sister. My mother works as a labourer in the tea plantations. My first interaction with Plan Sri Lanka was when I was studying in Grade 8. Plan staff visited our village and discussed how we can form a children’s club. We formed a children’s club in nawa Hunugala wasama. The club was named Kekulu Children’s club. In 2010, we started to build a little space for a library for children in our village. All the children were helpful and were very interested in this project. We started the library with just 38 books collected from our houses. Our library was made out of mud and was damaged several times due to heavy rains. Therefore, we wanted something more permanent. We shared our ideas with Plan staff. As a result of these meetings, Plan agreed to support the building of a small resource centre including a library for our village. We also participated in a number of meetings with government officials and Plan staff, to get permission to build on the premises. We also learnt that there are other groups of people who are willing to share what they have with children. That is why we wrote to the Martin Wickramasinghe Trust Fund, which is named after the veteran Sri Lankan writer, and asked for support for our library. The Martin Wickramasinghe Trust Fund supported us by giving valuable books. In June 2013, we were successful in completing the building of the library and declaring it open. I strongly believe that our village can be changed only if the children study well and are engaged in meaningful leisure activities that also build positive relationships among peer groups. There are nearly 48 families and 200 people in our village. Almost all the people come to this library. " 20
Training for Probation Officers
Plan supports a Child friendly Police desk in Moneragala
Where abuse ends and healing begins
A training programme aimed at giving better understanding of concepts and laws relating to children in need of care and protection as well as children in conflict with law, was jointly organized by Plan Sri Lanka and the Department of Probation and Childcare Services for Senior Probation Officers from 5th to 9th June in Colombo. Nearly 50 Probation Officers from Sabaragamuwa, Uva, Southern and Central provinces participated at this training programme.
Hon. Shashindra Rajapaksha, Chief Minister of Uva province and Ned Espey, Country Director of Plan Sri Lanka laid the foundation stone for the new office complex of Children and Women’s Police desk attached to the Moneragala Police Headquarters on 11th September 2013. The project is part of Plan’s assistance to strengthen provincial child protection systems.
Sri Lanka Colleague of Paediatricians together with Plan Sri Lanka launched the “Multi-sectoral guidelines for the management of child abuse and neglect” on 4th December 2013 in Colombo.
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Household economic security Plan’s goal: For children and young people to realize their right to economic security and access to skills they need for meaningful participation in economic activities. Plan’s programme on household economic security aims to build the capacity of families to meet their basic needs by making available financial resources, financial and economic opportunities and necessary financial competencies. Specifically, the programme endeavours to increase the capacity of microfinance institutions to provide inclusive and client responsive financial services. This means providing a total package that includes apart from financial assistance improving life skills to empower women in poor and vulnerable families to raise disposable income, improve food security, and reduce family’s vulnerability to economic shifts, economic risks and frequent financial shocks. As a part of the strategy, Plan Sri Lanka is engaged in developing technical and institutional capacity of microfinance institutions to implement poverty-focused and skill based models in the most vulnerable communities in a responsible and accountable manner. This is done through, • Providing financial services to poor families, mainly women, via Economic Empowerment Groups • Improving effectiveness of community decision-making processes through financial competencies and life skills improvement for rapid socio-economic transformation and • Promoting women’s economic leadership through livelihood improvement and entrepreneurship development 22
At present, Plan partners with three key players in the microfinance sector - Sarvodaya Economic Enterprises Development Services (SEEDS) since 2006, Berendina Microfinance Institute (BMI) since 2012 and Lanka Microfinance Practitioner’s Association (LMFPA) since 2006. All three partnerships focus on making microfinance services more responsible and accountable for poor, un-bankable and most marginalized communities and groups.
Social performance strategy Continuous attention was placed on ways to make sustainable changes in communities. Plan introduced a “wealthy family” programme to provide financial discipline to households in managing healthy finances. The programme helps develop an early familiarity in life to financial management skills that gives individuals a foundation for understanding the use and management of money.
Financial services The financial services project was started in Kurunegala in 2006 by Plan and partners has enabled poor and un-bankable women to increase and diversify income, build human, social and economic assets, and improve their livelihood and lives. The project show that poor people choose to invest in a wide range of assets: better nutrition, improved health, access to schooling, a better roof on their homes, and expansion of their small businesses. The ability to borrow, save, and earn an income have enhanced the women members’ confidence, enabling them to better challenge existing gender inequities. The project interventions enable members to make joint decisions with their spouses on allocation of household money, children’s education, business planning and asset purchasing. During the last year, closer to 700 Economic Empowerment Groups (EEG) were mobilised in Moneragala, Kandy and Polpithigama under the SEEDS/Plan partnership programme. The EEG is the smallest and the strongest community group with a majority of female representation who takes on programme implementation and sharing benefits with their group members. It was estimated that more than 18,000 girls and 12,000 boys have been directly and indirectly benefited from the services of the joint programme.
Moreover, wealthy family programme is identified as a strategy to integrate social performance management practices into microfinance institutions. Plan’s partnerSEEDS was able to scale up the reach of wealthy family programme to children and young men and women.
Lanka Microfinance Practitioners’ Association (LMFPA) The Lanka Microfinance Practitioners Association (LMFPA) was established in 2006 with the support of Plan Sri Lanka and GiZ ProMiS as the national forum for microfinance practitioners. Plan works with the LMFPA to make the microfinance sector of Sri Lanka more responsible and accountable of their services and clients. During the year, Plan took a lead in creating a discussion among microfinance practitioners on microfinance and social performance management. Subsequently, in 2013, Plan introduced the “wealthy family” programme as the social performance application for the microfinance sector. Twenty eight senior managers of 17 MFIs were trained via national level trainers of trainers and a national level peer network of social performance management was established in May 2013.
Moreover, Plan’s relatively new partnership with Berendina Microfinance Institution in 2012 covered a total of 300 credit clusters in Anuradhapura comprising of 8,700 members of which nearly 6,000 are women, who were supported. 23
The story of Karunawathi from Kahambana in Moneragala Karunawathi is a 40 year old woman afflicted with polio since she was five years old. She cannot get about as much as she would like to and is on a wheel chair. She has never gone to school but says she can read and write. Karunawathi got interested to join the microfinance programme supported by Plan. Now she is a member of the Sarani Economic Empowerment Group in her village. The group helped Karunawathi to become a productive member of her community despite her disability. Her participation in the weekly meetings of the economic group has given Karunawathi a sense of belonging and kinship with her peers.
Karunawathi has made use of the loans she obtained from her economic empowerment group for cultivating crops which had given her good return. Karunawathi emphasizes that she only obtains loan amounts that she really needs as she is mindful of the fact that the loan has to be repaid. With her assiduousness and diligence, the family has managed to expand the cultivated land extent so much that it has doubled from the initial land extent that was cultivated. Karunawathi has made use of the training opportunities provided to her EEG members on business development, financial literacy and household money management to improve her income and maintain healthy household finances. Since joining the microfinance programme, Karunawathie’s monthly family income has risen. Karunawathi values the support of Plan and SEEDS staff. With the opportunities the microfinance programme has offered, Karunawathi has made small improvements in her life and her family. When considering the massive challenges that Karunwathi had to overcome with her disability, age and lack of education, it is indeed a great achievement.
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Trained on wealthy family Plan Sri Lanka conducted a series of trainings on the ‘wealthy family programme’ to senior managers of a leading financial institute, members of the Lanka Microfinance Practitioner’s Association, and community members. The programme follows the life cycle approach to address all dimensions that affect individual, household and village economy.
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Child-centred disaster risk management Plan’s goal: For children and young people to grow up safely in resilient communities and realize their right to protection during emergencies. This is the latest addition to Plan Sri Lanka programmes, although Plan gained wealth of expertise and experience in delivering a fully fledge disaster response and recovery programme aftermath of the 2004 Indian ocean tsunami from 2005 to 2009. In the current country strategic plan, Plan developed a new country programme on Disaster risk management that will be implemented in line with the government’s overall disaster risk management structure. This programme is aimed at building resilient communities that cope and adopt climate change and natural disasters while increasing the capacity of those who provide response services. Plan’s disaster risk management strategy promotes inclusive and a rights-based approach to sustain education, child protection and water and sanitation during disasters, an element which Plan promotes among its stakeholders.
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The Sri Lanka Disaster Management Centre (DMC) of the Ministry of Disaster Management has taken initiatives to build partnerships with private sector and non-government organizations to minimize the impacts of disasters on communities, in particular vulnerable groups including children. Plan has expressed its interest to collaborative with the DMC to protect people from disasters especially in Plan working districts through emergency assistance, recovery and disaster risk reduction interventions.
Disaster response Plan was able to build close relationship with the Disaster Management Centre and its district officers in order to prepare and coordinate response to disasters. During the year, Plan responded to two major emergencies. Plan responded to the affected communities in Eastern and Central PUs with immediate relief assistance including drinking water and hygiene kits. This immediate relief assistance effort was highly appreciated by the District Secretaries of Batticaloa and Kandy.
Disaster risk reduction Frequent occurrence of natural disasters is an increasing trend in Sri Lanka and mostly and predominantly children and women are the largest part of vulnerable groups during a disaster. Plan and the Disaster management centre are working on a 3-year joint plan to conduct disaster risk reduction interventions in Plan working areas. This will include strengthening capacity of schools to reduce children’s vulnerability to disasters and also to increase the community capacity to protect them from all forms of disasters. Plan works closely with “working group” of school safety, led by the Ministry of Education and development partners. Initially Disaster management centre with the assistance of Plan will develop criteria to assess disaster preparedness and skills of the schools and villages in Plan working areas of Anuradhapura and Moneragala districts. On the part of the communities – a community based disaster management plan will be introduced to members of village committees and preparedness plans will be developed through a participatory approach. A mechanism to receive early warning on floods and landslide messages to schools and villagers will be included in the plans.
Growing concern of children on the changing weather conditions in their village A research that Plan conducted in Plan working areas reveals the growing concern of children and communities on the changing weather conditions that affects their daily lives. The study was conducted in 128 households and 345 children at both primary and secondary schools in Anuradhapura, Moneragala, Ampara and Batticaloa. The research covered areas where the impacts of climate change are significantly felt. Children seem to be more concerned and conscious not only about the immediate safety and the impact, but also on the long term food adequacy, child protection and social trends such as mother migration which leaves more and more children vulnerable to the aftershocks of disasters. There was also significant gender sensitivity to the responses of boys and girls. The children had a serious level of concern about on-going and future impacts of climate changes in their immediate surroundings. They already have a dialogue on the subject at the school. Children largely linked climate change to seasonal changes or extreme weather events. The knowledge of younger children on climate change is reportedly learnt from TV and other electronic media while older children study related topics in the school. Based on this knowledge, children claimed to have observed climate change and its impacts in their villages, including unusual rain patterns and increased instances of diseases.
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Because I am A Girl campaign Plan’s global campaign ‘Because I am a Girl’ will support four million girls to get the education, skills and support they need to move themselves from poverty to opportunity. Plan Sri Lanka launched the campaign – a 5 year programme on Girls at the First International Day of the Girl Child.
2012 Launch of the campaign At a colourful event on 11th October, 2012 at the First ever UN Day of the Girl Child, Plan Sri Lanka joined the Plan world to launch its 5 year programme on Girls known as Because I Am A Girl. The event was attended by government representatives, other development agencies operating in Sri Lanka, artists, representatives of the corporate sector, sports personalities and members of media.
Sri Lanka World Cup Women’s Cricket Team
Raise their Hands for Girls!
Youth awareness programmes in North Central Province
The Sri Lanka Women’s T20 team extended their full support for the First ever International Day of the Girl Child and BIAAG campaign days before their exciting World Cup Twenty 20 in Sri Lanka.
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Nearly 75 youth participated in a youth awareness programme to launch BIAAG campaign in Manupa in Anuradhapura in coordination and cooperation with the child rights promotion officer and the divisional secretariat.
2013 Girls at the Centre at International Girls Day celebrations The Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Affairs jointly with Plan Sri Lanka organized the national celebrations of the International Girls Day on 11th October 2013 in Colombo. Eleven Girls from Plan working areas in Anuradhapura, Kandy, Moneragala and Batticaloa participated at the event. During the event, three of these Girls were recognized for their outstanding contributions especially made for the protection and wellbeing of the Girls and Boys in their communities. Fourteen year old Fathima Kreeza, 18 year old Sivasubramaniyam Subashini and 17 year old Madushika Lakshani received awards from the Chief Guest, Madam Shiranthi Rajapaksa.
A media campaign to highlight Girls rights At the 2nd International Day of the Girl, Plan Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Affairs launched a media campaign to sensitize public on issues faced by girls. The campaign ran for 1 month from October in leading TV and radio channels in Sri Lanka.
Music therapy to address Girls issues Plan jointly with Room to Read, SOS and divisional secretariat in Moneragala organized an innovative musical programme to create awareness on the issues faced by Girls. The event was part of Plan’s engagement at the International Girls Day in Moneragala and was attended by nearly 700 girls.
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Events “Laahiru” Media club members refreshed on visual media skills
Plan and the Divisional Secretary’s office of Medawachchiya jointly organized a workshop for 31 members of the Laahiru media club from 19th to 21st April in Anuradhapura. The members of Laahiru media club are participants of a media training programme supported by Plan jointly with the Department of visual arts at the University of Peradeniya. The key objectives of the workshop are to put into practice the learnings from the ongoing visual media training programme, promote children’s group performances using different kinds of media, and to form a media federation from the students who are actively engaged in the training. “This is a big experience for us. We couldn’t have got this opportunity without the support of Plan. We learnt so many things. We feel that the visual media training will direct us to go forward.” Mayumi Shashikala - Media club member
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Special media workshop at Wellassa Subagya School
Media workshops for children
Plan’s Uva programme unit conducted a workshop on radio programming at Moneragala Wellassa Subagya school recently. This is one of the first instances that Plan is working with a special group of children with defects in vision and hearing and training them in media. Twenty three girls and boys went through an engaging five day training programme, after which they produced a one hour radio programme which was aired over Uva community radio.
The North Central programme unit conducted two print media workshops for children from selected schools in Manupa, Wilachchiya, Medawachchiya and Kahatagasdigiliya where Plan works. The workshops were conducted in collaboration with Wijaya Newspapers Ltd and provincial department of education. So far, nearly 100 children have been trained on effective use of print media. The trainings are part of Plan’s ongoing programme in child protection and child media.
Plan shines at CHOGM youth forum in Hambantota
Using tele-cinema to educate children on protection
Cooperate plan on child protection
Plan International took part in the Commonwealth Youth Forum which ran parallel to the 23rd Commonwealth Heads of State Meeting took place in Sri Lanka in November 2013.
“Anawaratha” is a short film jointly produced by Plan with the probation and childcare department in the Northwestern province to educate children and parents on child protection. A series of awareness programmes are being conducted for children and their parents using the film in Kurunegala and Anuradhapura areas.
All partners working in child protection in the Kandy District got together to develop a District Cooperate Plan for 2014-15 with the aim of ensuring better coordination, effective communication and operations among the key partners working for child protection so that children will continue to enjoy a protective and safe environment in and out of home and in the school. The National Child Protection Authority, Departments of Probation and childcare, labour, education, health and Plan Sri Lanka Central programme unit organized the event.
Plan was acknowledged at the youth forum as an innovative partner bringing successes of participatory community development to the youth forum at this international forum. Samuel Thomas, Plan UK Policy and Advocacy Specialist was a key speaker at the panel discussion on “Gender Equality” sharing Plan’s experience worldwide. Later, Plan Sri Lanka conducted a side event under the sub theme of ‘Wellbeing and Growth” sharing Plan’s programmes that highlights best practices in child based community development in Sri Lanka. A highlight of the afternoon was the presentation by 19 year old, Aruna Prasanna from a Plan supported youth media group from Central Province who shared the change their media team brought to his village.
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Plan Sri Lanka, 110, Park Road, Colombo 05, Sri Lanka www.plansrilanka.org 32