Plan China Annual Progress Report 2010

A YEAR IN

CHINA

SUMMARY REPORT

2010

Students promote World Environment Day 2009 in their village

3

GOOD REASONS

OUR PRIORITIES

why Plan works in China

in China

• Children’s health suffers due to lack of good quality health services, lack of drinking water and sanitation facilities, and poor awareness of hygiene

• Improving women and children’s health, and children’s nutrition

• The quality of education is poor due to a shortage of trained teachers

• Raising awareness of children’s rights, protecting children in difficult situations and helping children’s voices to be heard

• Many families migrate from rural to urban areas, and their children struggle to get education and healthcare

• Improving the quality of education and helping more children attend preschool • Providing communities with clean water and sanitation facilities and promoting awareness of hygiene • Supporting communities and families to sustain and increase their incomes • Carrying out emergency relief and rehabilitation work following the earthquake in Sichuan province in May 2008

RUSSI A

CHI NA

The Stone Breaking Ceremony of the Shaanxi School Reconstruction Project

China Facts Capital: Beijing Population: 1.33 billion Languages: Mandarin,

with many local dialects Climate: The climate of China varies greatly. The northern zone (containing Beijing) has summer daytime temperatures of more than 30 degrees Celsius and winters of Arctic severity. The central zone (containing Shanghai) has a temperate continental climate with very hot summers and cold winters. The southern zone (containing Guangzhou) has a

Country Office Program Units

KAZ AK H S T A N

subtropical climate with very hot summers and mild winters.

Economy: The Chinese Government calls their economic system ‘Socialism with Chinese characteristics’.

The size of China’s economy has been rapidly increasing, though some now question whether the cost has been too great, and whether the economy has ‘overheated’, with side effects such as pollution and a substantial gap between rich and poor worrying many Chinese.

Harbin M ONG OLI A

Ürümqi

Huang

Yellow Beijing

Yulin

Tianjin

JAPAN SOUTH KORE A

Xi’an

Chunhua NEPAL

NORTH KORE A

Jiaxian Pucheng

Longde Chengdu

Shenyang

Xixiang

Nanjing Hangzhou

Shanghai

tze Yang

I N DI A

Kunming MYANMAR LA OS

Xun

Guangzhou Hong Kong PH I LI PPIN E S

Focus On:

disaster management On 12 May 2008 an earthquake struck Sichuan province, central China, reverberating in neighbouring Gansu, Shaanxi and Chongqing. The earthquake affected 46 million people. It destroyed over six million homes and devastated infrastructure. Plan provided emergency shelter and food for communities in Shaanxi and Sichuan, and reconstructed water and

sanitation facilities and schools.

We raised awareness of child protection in disaster situations and got children involved in reconstruction. Plan works with children and communities to reduce the dangers disasters pose.

Students of Chun Hua County drawing pictures about environmental protection on woven bags

Moving forward after the earthquake

On 12 May 2008, Chenchen, a student at Hong Xing Primary School, Shaanxi province, came back to his classroom after lunch. Only a few moments later, after the bell rang, the students all felt their classroom shaking violently. At first, Chenchen felt he was being pushed from behind. The next thing he knew, he woke up scared stiff and stumbled out of the classroom.

Chenchen was lucky and didn’t suffer any physical injuries. However, his school was destroyed and he and his classmates had to study in temporary shelters. The earthquake had frequent aftershocks and their lessons were often interrupted. Some children, whose parents were working as migrant workers in other cities, left school to live with their parents. Chenchen says: ‘One of my classmates has transferred to a school in Shenzhen City, where his parents work as labourers.’

Building safer schools Classrooms were repaired and reconstructed, toilets built and new equipment provided.

The new buildings were constructed to have a better chance of withstanding earthquakes.

A bio-gas system was installed, which uses renewable materials like manure and food waste to produce energy.

Why education is essential Education is usually neglected in the weeks and months following a disaster. But it can be vital to protecting children, supporting their rehabilitation and helping them to rebuild their lives and their communities. Hong Xing Primary School is one of seven schools that Plan rebuilt after the earthquake, working with local partner the Shaanxi Provincial Women’s Federation, as well as with local leaders, families, head teachers and students.

Helping children to recover Plan also set up activities such as painting and essay writing groups to help children affected by the disaster to recover emotionally. With time and support, children are gradually recovering from the memory of the earthquake and looking towards the future.

The new school’s design came from an exercise that asked children to describe and paint their ideal learning environment. Chenchen had a clear idea of how it should be. Remembering his former classmate Chao, he says: ‘Chao told me the buildings in Shenzhen City are more solid and more beautiful than ours. His new school also has better equipment than ours used to have. Now he’s learning in a better school and safer classroom.’

Children are especially vulnerable in disasters.

As well as their physical and emotional needs, they are also vulnerable to an increased risk of abuse and mistreatment in often chaotic emergency situations. So in Hong Xing, the focus on rebuilding infrastructure was widened to prioritise children’s needs and get children fully involved. Plan provided training on children’s rights and child protection to teachers, school leaders, local organisations and students themselves.

The Bigger Picture Plan is working with children, families and communities to find sustainable solutions to the challenges in China. We have only given you a small insight into Plan’s work in China with this report but over the past year we also: • Improved health and education for 5100 children who had migrated with their families to Beijing • Helped install 6090 new toilets in rural communities for better health and sanitation • Worked with the All China Lawyers Association to provide legal support and protection for 992 children, including some vulnerable to sexual abuse • Since 2005 Plan has provided 18,911 small loans totalling over A$6 million, helping rural families to increase their economic security Your support as a sponsor is crucial to achieving these results. With the resources provided by sponsors, Plan expertise and the collaboration of communities and local partners we are making a big difference to the lives of people in China.

Thank you for your involvement!

The community are happy with what has been achieved thanks to their hard work and Plan’s support. Looking at the robust new teaching building, big smiles appeared on the faces of Chenchen and his classmates.

‘Studying in the new classrooms, we will never have to worry about earthquakes. We also have new teaching equipment,’ says Chenchen.

‘Now we look forward to using the new books and bookshelves from our friends at Plan.’

To learn more about Plan’s work in China visit plan.org.au/ourwork/asia/china

Some names have been changed for child protection and privacy reasons

‘Studying in the new classrooms, we will never have to worry about earthquakes. We also have new teaching equipment’ Produced for China by Plan International Australia.

‘With time and support, children are gradually recovering from the memory of the earthquake and looking towards the future’