Global Child Magazine 2017

Global child Plan International Australia’s magazine

Cyclone winston: 6 months on

How our supporters helped the people of Fiji survive a disaster

Rebuilding children’s futures Getting kids back into the classroom after the devastating Nepal earthquake

girls step up Join the fight for a fairer world for girls

March 2017

help create a better world for girls I hope you enjoy our all-new Global Child Magazine, and seeing the difference our supporters are making for girls and boys in the poorest places.

Our work now has one, overarching goal: to achieve a just world that advances children’s rights and brings equality for girls.

We will continue to work with boys, and support them through our impactful child sponsorship program. But a decade of investment in our Because I am a Girl initiative has shown us that addressing gender inequality is the best way to reduce global poverty.

Everything we do will now have a particular focus on girls – to create a fairer world for all children.

I hope you feel as inspired as I did reading about the ‘Girls Take Over’ on page seven. On International Day of the Girl, girls stepped into the shoes of leaders in more than 50 countries, calling for an end to the discrimination and sexual violence that is preventing them from realising their potential.

You may not know that our Plan International supporters also help children and families to stay safe and resilient before, during and after emergencies. You’ll read on page four how our supporters have helped save lives and supported families to rebuild after Fiji’s worst-ever tropical cyclone.

This year, we also want to highlight the impact that sponsors have, not just for children, but for their wider community. On page eight, Tino describes the wonderful transformation he’s seen over a decade of working with sponsored children in Cambodia.

At a time when our government is doing less and less to help the girls and boys who are suffering on other shores, the team at Plan International relies on caring Australians like you more than ever before.

Happy reading.

Yours sincerely,

Ian Wishart CEO, Plan International Australia

P.S. Please let us know what you think of this new edition. By reducing the costs of this publication, we’re able to send more money to the communities that need it most, while showing you first-hand the difference our supporters are making. We’d love your feedback please contact us at info@plan.org.au

Thanks to our supporters: 52,767 39,516 appeal update Emergency shelter Children were supported $100,000 raised. by sponsors in Australia.

90,615 Children were directly

kits were delivered to the people of Nepal.

11,434 Vulnerable men and

reached by our Early Childhood program.

women took part in vocational training.

Front Cover: Samuon, 13, walking to school with her brother in Cambodia.

13 75 26 /planaustralia

Thanks to supporters of our 1,000 day Christmas appeal, we will be able to protect 10,000 children from severe under nutrition in Laos.

Inside Cover: Ian Wishart meeting with community member in Laos.

plan.org.au

@PlanAustralia

@plan_australia

MY AMAZING ADVENTURE Mum of two Mandy Kopelke spoke to us about how cycling for girls around Cambodia changed her life.

Mandy was one of 17 participants along with Gina, Kerry, Holly, Kerrie, Jeanie, Kevin, Andrea, Alana, Eliza, Shelley, Sharon, Maria, Phil, Laura, Melissa and Kelsey, who took part in Cycle for Girls Cambodia.

What inspired you to cycle for girls?

What are your top fundraising tips?

I felt I needed to contribute to the greater good, that there was a bigger world out there full of people who are not as lucky as we are. Then I received a newsletter from Plan International, who I’ve been sponsoring children through for more than 16 years.The #cycleforgirls fundraising adventure really grabbed my attention as I love riding a bike.

Think about how you can use your skills, and focus on ideas that can easily fit into your life. I’m an artist so my art became a focal point for my fundraising campaign. Also start straight away so you don’t get stressed, and remember that you can achieve your goal in little steps.

What was the highlight of your trip?

What would you tell someone thinking about taking on a Plan International adventure?

The beautiful Cambodian people – from the amazing guides who shared their poignant stories to the smiling children who ran to high five us as we peddled past. Sharing all this with such an amazing team made the experience one that will stay with me forever.

CYCLE FOR GIRLS AT A GLANCE

Do it! Your family need to be on board, but with them behind you everything is possible. Secondly, don’t forget to train and make it fun. Thirdly, tell everyone who will listen about your journey. Use social media if that’s your thing. As a visual person I’ve really harnessed Instagram.

17 PARTICIPANTS cycled 400km across cambodia in 10 days!

They raised over $100,000 to help girls around the world escape poverty, violence and exploitation.

They visited three Plan International projects – singing hokey pokey to children at an early learning centre, meeting with single mothers who are supporting their children with basket weaving, and talking to young women who are learning trades.

They rode in sun, wind and rain, sharing lots of laughter and forging countless friendships along the way.

“I got so much out of this journey – from greater personal confidence to new friendships and general life-changing awesomeness.”

Mandy Kopelke

Feeling inspired?

Sign up for our next adventure to Sri Lanka in March 2018 at plan.org.au/act/fundraise/join-an-adventure

Get Inspired at: inspiredadventures.com.au/events/plan-cycle-for-girls-2016

Follow us on: becauseiamagirl.au

Cyclone Winston: our life-saving response A year after the worst cyclone in Fiji’s history, we take a look at how our supporters helped saved lives and rebuild communities.

Rebuilding Suryodaya Secondary School We’re calling on any supporters who can join with us to rebuild this school, in the mountainous and hard-hit Makwanpur District.

We must raise $200,000 by 30 April so we can start construction and get 850 children like Manju back into safe, permanent classrooms.

Fulori and her three children lost their wooden home and all of their crops in Cyclone Winston. Plan International and our partners in Fiji were able to supply Fulori’s family with tarps, food and a first aid kit straight after the disaster.

When Cyclone Winston hit Fiji last February, it tore through homes, schools, roads and crops. More than 40 people were killed, and hundreds of thousands more lost their homes and livelihoods.

In remote villages such as Nayavutoka, families had enough food to sustain themselves for the two weeks it took for roads to be cleared and humanitarian aid to arrive.

But without the generosity of our supporters the devastation would have been much worse. Our Humanitarian Advisor, Evan Davies, explained:

In the wake of the disaster, we provided families with the tools and support they needed to recover. Evan said:

“With the help of our supporters, we’ve been working with local partners in Fiji’s Ra province to make sure communities are better prepared for natural disasters. That meant before the cyclone hit, people could track its progress and prepare their villages.

They braced their houses, cleared away debris, stockpiled food and water and sheltered from the storm in the strongest buildings.”

This preparedness made an enormous difference in villages like Navuniivi, where not a single person was killed or injured, despite all but one home being damaged or destroyed.

“On Batiki island, Winston wiped out most of the houses and all of the crops and impacted on the water supply. We could help minimise the short and long term impact by giving families the seeds and tools they needed to replant crops and repair their homes.”

Our community of supporters helps us protect children and families before disaster strikes and assists them in recovery.

To contribute to the nepal school rebuild project visit plan.org.au/giftofstrength

Getting children back to school in Nepal

Manju hikes across rivers and valleys every morning to reach the temporary learning centre.

Determined to keep learning, Manju hikes across rivers and valleys every morning to reach the temporary learning centre that our supporters helped to build.

Manju is one of millions of children who lost their homes, schools and loved ones in the massive twin earthquake that levelled many villages across Nepal in 2015.

But thanks to wonderful people like you, she’s now studying again in a temporary learning centre. It’s one of hundreds of such centres that Plan International has set up – so children can keep up their education and have a safe place to recover from their trauma.

That’s especially important for girls like Manju, who without the chance to study, are more likely to fall prey to trafficking, child marriage or child labour. Sadly, they’re more vulnerable than ever after a disaster.

Trotty is greated by a group of children in Makwanpur District.

Read about our long-term supporters Barbara and Trotty who are supporting the Suryodaya Secondary School rebuild.

Trotty visited the Makwanpur district before her first attempt on Mt Everest in 2010 and was heartbroken to hear how the earthquake shattered the region – and Suryodaya Secondary School. She invited other supporters from around the world to raise money for the school’s rebuild by climbing their nearest peak in January. Trotty is now preparing for her second attempt in April 2018.

Long-time Plan International supporter Trotty climbing in Manaslu, Nepal.

“During the earthquake, I was afraid. I was worried something bad would happen and I’d no longer be able to study,” Manju said.

Since the earthquake, Plan International has prioritised the needs of girls and children like Manju, who live in remote and hard-to-reach mountainous communities.

Plan International has helped to bring them lifesaving aid and temporary shelter and education. Now we need compassionate people on board more than ever, as we focus on rebuilding schools and other projects to keep these children safe.

Because we must act quickly if we are to protect more of the girls and children whose education was interrupted when the earthquakes collapsed their schools. So many thousands are still at risk of losing their education – and their hope for a better future.

Barbara, who has been a child sponsor for more than 20 years and a long-time Plan International supporter, was the first to donate towards our school rebuilding project. After visiting her sponsored child in Nepal, she saw the huge difference that education makes for children, families and the wider community. Barbara feels passionately about making sure children who have lost so much can continue their education.

Long-time Plan International supporter, Barbara.

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How we got behind l ir g e th f o ay d l a n io at n r te In In Melbourne, Plan International and Our Watch launched our ‘Everyday Sexism’ report, which highlights the discrimination Australian girls and young women still face in our schools, streets and homes. The report was launched by our youth ambassadors, with widespread media coverage.

In Adelaide, our Women for Girls Committee hosted the annual ‘Because I am a Girl’ breakfast, speaking to local business people, teachers and students about the challenges girls all over the world face. They raised an incredible $19,000 towards Plan International’s projects to help empower girls to change the world.

In Cambodia, our Cycle for Girls team helped to raise $100,000 towards these projects by cycling around the country.

Online, almost a million people around the world showed their support by adding the ‘Because I am a Girl’ frame to their Facebook profile picture.

Our amazing Adelaide Women for Girls Committee, from left to right: Yve, Katrina, Amber, Leanne (Chair), Chloe, Christine, Kathryn (Caitlin-missing)

get active

Become

fo r g i r l s

a Wo m e n fo r G ir ls m e m b er

in M e lb ou

Live in in Melbourne Melbourne and and want want to to Live show your your support support for for girls? girls? show

rn e

We are on the lookout for Women for Girls members in Melbourne.

Joining Women for Girls is a powerful way to show your support for girls while connecting with other women about the issues that matter to you.

Run for Girls in New York Run with us in the 2017 New York Marathon to help make the world a fairer, safer place for girls. Register for this iconic event and check out opportunities to run for girls closer to home.

Go to: plan.org.au/act/fundraise

trek for Girls in sri lanka

Join us today!

Expressions of interest can be sent to: community@plan.org.au

Want to combine your passion for travel with your passion for girls’ rights?Join our next adventure to Sri Lanka in March 2018.

At: plan.org.au/act/fundraise/join-an-adventure

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Global Child Plan International Australia’s Magazine

In Nepal, 17-year-old Sajju stepped into the role as President and presented an action plan on girls’ rights.

In Sierra Leone, girls took over parliament to raise the issues of education and child marriage. In Uganda, girls also wrested control of the national parliament, calling on the government to prioritise girls’ schooling.

How girls took over the world On International Day of the Girl, girls in more than 50 countries stepped into the shoes of leaders and spoke out on the issues that affect their lives.

In Paraguay, girls dominated parliament for the first time in history, taking over 40 key positions including Vice-President. They rallied for more investment in education, safer schools, more job opportunities and equality within the household.

Government ministers in Cambodia, Brazil, Sierra Leone, Indonesia and Canada also made way for inspirational girls demanding an end to inequality.

And in places from Norway to the USA, the Philippines and Benin, girls made their voices heard as leaders of media outlets and major corporations.

With more than 250 takeovers, girls everywhere called attention to the issues preventing them from reaching their potential – including teen pregnancy, sex trafficking, sexual violence, lack of access to education and legal discrimination.

International Day of the Girl delegate, Sherri-Rose chatting with Campaigns Officer Zoe at the Plan International Australia Head office.

They also showed us that, with help to dismantle these barriers, they have the power to create a better, fairer world for everyone.

our Join because I am a girl movement at becauseiamagirl.com.au

help girls movement to Join our global e by visiting cide and thriv learn, lead, de seiamagirl nal.org/becau plan-internatio Girl’ on ecause I am a or following ‘B Twitter.

Facebook and

follow us on twitter @invest_in_girls

follow us on facebook /becauseiamagirl.au

In Indonesia, 18-year-old Nur took over as Minister of Manpower and chaired a leadership meeting.

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Ten years of support in Cambodia Tino spoke to us about the huge difference that our caring sponsors have made for the communities he works with in Cambodia.

Cambodian children in Siem Reap, tending to the school garden in preparation to sow new crops.

When Tino joined our still-new child sponsorship team in the Siem Reap province in 2002, the challenges facing families were huge.

Today, Tino uses the English he learnt at university when he takes sponsors to meet with their children and see the communities they’re helping. Asked what he likes most about his job, Tino doesn’t hesitate.

“Children had to walk two hours to get to the school, so many didn’t go. A lot got sick because there was no clean drinking water or health centre. Women and their babies often died in childbirth because they couldn’t get to the hospital in time.”

“I love my work as I want all children to be happy and to have the chance to study.”

At Plan International Australia we work with local communities in Cambodia to ensure children can have the best start in life through child development, nutrition and learning programs. We continue to work with young people as they forge their futures through our youth vocational training and employability program so that they can pursue their dreams. With your support we can reach more children and have an even bigger impact in 2017.

More than ten years on, Tino has seen enormous improvements, thanks to the caring people who sponsor children in the region.

“That village now has a health care centre and a pump for clean drinking water. With the help of our sponsors, we’ve built a primary and a secondary school and are giving children breakfasts.”

To find out more about how your philanthropic support can go even further please contact Celine Bowler at celine. bowler@plan.org.au or on 03 9672 3657.

Tino explained that many families can’t afford to feed their children before they start their school day at 7am.

“Children used to feel hungry at school and couldn’t focus.

That contributed to them dropping out of primary school to help their families. By cooking breakfast for children, we’re helping them to focus at school and to stay in school.”

Tino knows what it’s like to struggle for an education. His family fled the Khmer Rouge when he was just a baby, and he got his first years of schooling in a refugee camp in Thailand. When his family returned to Cambodia, Tino walked 20 kilometres each day to go to high school.

After finishing high school, he worked as a construction worker in the hope of saving enough money to go to university. But there was nothing left over after supporting his family. It was only with the financial help of his uncle that Tino could realise his dream of getting a degree.

Tino is loved by children all around Cambodia – including his two sons who call him “Mr Mum”.

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Global Child Plan International Australia’s Magazine

The gift of a lifetime

After almost four decades as a child sponsor, David Grieve has decided to make a difference – one that ensures his values, ethics and caring nature will live on.

David credits his passion for social justice to his mother, a long-time supporter of Plan International. He remembers reading their sponsored child’s letters together as a family.

“The critical thing, particularly in Africa, is how much kids want to go to school. They’ll walk for an hour to go to school. Through Plan International, I can help them get there.”

“It’s a positive way of making a difference to someone’s life and you can actually see it. Apart from health, education is one of the most important things you can give to a child. It’s a stepping stone to a better life.”

Knowing exactly where his money would go made David’s decision easy.

“With Plan International there’s not a big bureaucracy. I know that even a small bequest can make a big difference. It’s about making a difference even when you’re gone.”

In 36 years supporting Plan International, David has helped many children take the steps to a better life. But it was seeing the impact of his gifts – when visiting his sponsored child in Zimbabwe – that inspired him to leave a gift in his Will.

David and Vicki with Denzel.

David with Vicki holding a chicken – a gift given to them by the community during their visit.

“Plan International makes sure the child has the best chance to go to school, but the money also goes to projects in the villages. They’re helping to build schools, teaching communities to build wells and educating families about child marriage and nutrition.”

Give a t f i g l a fin l l i w t tha live on

It’s easy to leave a gift in your will to Plan International Australia after meeting the needs of your loved ones.

Contact Paul Evans on 03 9672 3615 or paul.evans@plan.org.au to discuss how your charitable bequest can continue to create better lives for vulnerable children and their families into the future.

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SHOP FOR CHANGE O

ICHANGE LOG

Inspiring businesses like i=Change are making a difference for children all around the world.

Imagine if a simple choice could change a life.

That’s exactly how businesses are supporting vulnerable children in places such as Uganda, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. They are giving big hearted Australians like you another way to support Plan International – and it’s as simple as shopping.

In Uganda, compassionate supporters have helped to keep more than 90,000 girls in school by providing them with sanitary pads. They no longer need to take time off school when they have their period and are able to continue their education.

For the last year, i=Change has also supported this project, through its platform that allows shoppers to weave philanthropy into their everyday purchases.

When you shop with brands such as Bird & Knoll, Yellingbo, Fabrik Store, Fame and Partners or Fore on the i=Change platform, a dollar from every purchase will go towards helping girls get an education.

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Girls in Uga

In Cambodia, with the help of amazing our amazing supporters, Plan International is working with local communities to provide school children with daily breakfasts, so they can stay focused on their lessons. Our new partner Whole Kids has joined this project – because they share the belief that no child should miss out on school because of hunger.

Whole Kids will help us provide 500,000 nutritious meals this year so kids in Cambodia can kick-start their day. Now, when you stock your kids’ lunch boxes with Whole Kids snacks, you will also help provide children in Cambodia with breakfast, to help them learn, play and grow up healthy.

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In Sri Lanka, our supporters are helping to create jobs for girls and young women and protect them from poverty, violence and exploitation. World Nomads enabled their customers to support this project because they believe in giving back to the places that their travellers visit. When you buy a World Nomads travel insurance policy, you can help change lives by supporting a Plan project.

By supporting our partners, you help change the lives of girls and boys everywhere. ner with

to part If you’d like alia, tional Austr a rn Plan Inte re here at find out mo r-with-us /act/partne

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A young girl in Sri Lanka, learning how to sew.

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keep in touch call 13 75 26 Or visit plan.org.au

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Thank you for creatING a fairer world for all children