Plan Peru Annual Progress Report 2010

A YEAR IN

PERU

SUMMARY REPORT

2010 A small boy plays at a centre for young children where stimulation of early learning is encouraged

3

OUR PRIORITIES

GOOD REASONS

in Peru

why Plan works in Peru

• Helping families to make sure that children from birth to five are well treated, have good health, hygiene and nutrition, and attend preschool

• Only 40 per cent of families in Plan’s project areas have drinking water and only a third have adequate sanitation facilities • 30 per cent of children under five suffer from stunted growth

• Enabling children aged 6–12 to get a good education and learn about good hygiene and health practices

• Mistreatment and abuse are widespread, and children and young people are rarely involved in decision-making

ST VINCENT &

THE GRENADINES • Supporting young people aged 13–17 to take part in family and community decision-making,BARBADOS continue their education, and learn about sexual GRENADA and reproductive health

Cartagena-Bolívar

PANAMA

• Raising awareness of children’s rights and helping families, communities and Peru’s government to Bogota put them into practice

Chocó

Medellin

Cali

GUYANA

Capital: Lima Population: 29.5 million Languages: Spanish and

Quechua Climate: Peru, unlike other

equatorial countries, does not have an exclusively tropical climate; the influence of the Andes and the Humboldt Current cause great climatic diversity within the country. The coast has moderate temperatures, low precipitations and high humidity, except for its warmer, wetter northern reaches. In the Sierra, rain is frequent during summer. The Selva is characterised by heavy

COLOMBIA

ECUADOR

rainfall and high temperatures, except for its southernmost part, which has cold winters and seasonal rainfall.

Economy: Peru’s 2009 per capita income was US$8600.

Over a third of its population is poor, including 12.6 per cent that is extremely poor.

Historically, the country’s economic performance has been tied to exports, which provide hard currency to finance imports and external debt payments. Although PERU exports have provided substantial revenue, selfsustained growth and a more egalitarian distribution of income have proven elusive.

Iquitos Piura Crisnejas Trujillo

BRAZIL

Pucallpa

Huaraz

Lima

PERU Country Office Program Units

‘Thanks to their parents’ commitment and Plan’s support, malnutrition has reduced dramatically and children have a better start in life’

Tarma Lima Ica

Cusco

F G SURINAME

Cauca-Valle del Cauca

Children identified their wishes for their community as part of a child rights project

Peru Facts

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

• Helping families to make sure they have enough Sincelejo to eat, and giving them opportunities to increase VENEZUELA Monteria their incomes Cúcuta

BOLIVIA

Puno Arequipa Tacna

PARAGUAY

Focus on:

a healthy start in life Almost half the children living in Plan’s rural project areas are chronically malnourished and few have the opportunity to attend preschool or benefit from an early start to their education. Plan works with community organisations to provide health, nutrition, early education and child protection projects for children under five. We promote

measures to see that children are well treated at home and in the community. We help families to strengthen their parenting skills, and develop good nutrition and household hygiene.

Women’s incomes are a focus for this project that supports small business in Cusco, Piura and Lima

Improving the Early Years The early years of childhood are vital for growth and development.

To develop physically, emotionally and intellectually, children need good nutrition and the stimulation of different experiences. Two years ago, two-thirds of children under five in the village of Patabamba were undernourished and parents were not very involved in their children’s development. Now, thanks to their parents’ commitment and Plan’s support, malnutrition has reduced dramatically and children have a better start in life.

Plan works among isolated rural communities with high levels of poverty. Patabamba is a small community in the Andes. In 2007, Plan brought parents together to discuss the problems affecting their children. They identified malnutrition as the most serious problem, and asked for help from Plan and local community organisations.

Helping parents to help their children Plan taught parents about nutrition and breastfeeding, and how to monitor their children’s weight, height and other developmental signs. Plan also provided information about how children develop from birth to age three and helped parents to think about how to stimulate their babies and toddlers. This included making simple toys from materials they could easily find, such as stones, painted seeds and wool.

was coming from. I made little bells with tiny stones, so that they sounded quietly at the beginning, then louder. Now I am gathering material to make more toys.’

Something to be proud of Every month the parents register their children’s weight and height and charts are prepared. One of these is displayed with particular pride. It shows that since the project began, child malnutrition has reduced significantly, from 65 per cent in 2007 to 35 per cent in 2009.

These impressive results encourage parents to keep learning so they can offer their children better nutrition. However, over a third of children are still malnourished. This means that there is much more work to be done. One issue is to emphasise to parents that feeding girls is as important as feeding boys.

The project provides ongoing support. Health promoters carry out monthly visits to each family to help them use what they have learned in their daily life and support them with any problems that arise. Parents can see a real difference. Tania says: ‘Now my children are not fearful. They didn’t use to be like that.’

Patabamba is one of 109 rural communities where Plan is carrying out similar projects.

These projects show that, with Plan’s support, parents and communities can change their children’s lives.

Parents are enthusiastic about using these toys to help their children to develop new skills.

Tania, one of the mothers, says: ‘We have made toys like carts and other things, so the children play. I like it, and we want to learn more.’

Some names have been changed for child protection and privacy reasons.

Building a better future Realising the importance of early stimulation, parents decided they needed a community centre for child development. A space was donated by the mothers’ club, and enthusiastic volunteers painted the walls with local motifs.

Plan bought furniture and games.

‘We have made toys like carts and other things, so the children play. I like it, and we want to learn more.’

Parents value this new space. Danitza, a first time mother, says: ‘I have brought my son here since he was one month old. At first, they played with him with colourful little bells, and he turned his face over to see where the sound

Produced for Peru by Plan International Australia.

The Bigger Picture Plan is working with children, families and communities to find sustainable solutions to the challenges in Peru. We have only given you a small insight into Plan’s work in Peru with this report but over the past year we also: • Improved education by training 1988 teachers and community educators, and helping 95 schools to develop improvement plans • Provided loans to 3000 women through 202 community banks, and helped 200 women weavers improve their techniques and competitiveness • Since 2006, Plan has improved hygiene by helping to build 4828 toilets • Launched Plan’s Learn without Fear campaign against violence in schools. It has received widespread media coverage 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 Peru.

Thank you for your involvement!

To learn more about Plan’s work in Peru visit plan.org.au/ourwork/ southernamerica/peru

‘Peru, although rich in cultural and geographic diversity, faces profound social and economic inequality. Despite recent economic growth at the national level, the gap continues to widen.’

– Mariella Greco, Plan’s Country Director in Peru