Global child Plan International Australia’s magazine
March 2016
Far from home Helping Syrian refugees
It takes a village
Hand-washing, toilets, and PA systems This is total sanitation in Laos
You’ve got mail!
The journey of a sponsorship letter
Global Child Plan International Australia’s Magazine
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By Ian Wishart CEO, Plan International Australia
working with children, for children.
More than one billion people have been lifted out of extreme poverty since 1990. This is an overwhelmingly exciting achievement. But a number only really hits home when we meet the champions who have made this possible. You can meet them in this edition of Global Child. We have Thongkhoun in Laos who is the handwashing champion in his village. And sponsored child Sophary, the letter-writing champion in Cambodia. And there’s Lydia, you can read about her in the pamphlet included in this magazine. She is the first person in her family to graduate from university thanks to child sponsorship with Plan International.
The truth is, children are growing up in an increasingly complex world, impacted by poverty, discrimination and conflict. We won’t stop working until all children are happy, healthy and safe. That’s why in 2016 we’re asking you to fall in love again with sponsorship. If you are a sponsor, invite a friend to sign up. If you’ve been thinking about getting involved, now is the time.
Millions of kids and their communities have benefited from child sponsorship. They have safe drinking water. Their parents are financially secure. Schools are better equipped and teachers are better trained. Sponsorship alleviates poverty – we know because after 77 years of experience, it still works.
My Australian Tour
My family and I sponsor children in Vietnam and Cambodia. It has been a part of our family life. When my kids were younger, they were the ones who wrote the letters. It has helped provide them with an important lesson in compassion.
Some things in life are unacceptable. A boy who has to work in a rice field rather than learn at school. A girl, no older than 15, breastfeeding her first-born child to a man she never wanted to marry. Groups of children, cold, traumatised and far from a place that’s no longer safe to call home. We have a problem. Children are impacted by poverty, war, disaster and discrimination. But you are key to solving that problem. You are setting up safe places for refugee children to learn, play, and be kids. You are supporting initiatives that strengthen families’ income, so their children
don’t have to work and they have enough food to eat. You are educating communities on the value of their girls, and that they contribute beyond being just wives. For more than 75 years, Plan International has been working directly with communities around Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Middle East and South America. By supporting us, you’re helping to solve problems. Let’s stick together and we can work with children, so they can all grow up healthy, happy and safe.
Front cover: Syrian refugee Mouaiad, 4, holding hands with his mother. Inside cover: 14-year-old Regis is one of a 1,000 unaccompanied children assisted by Plan International in the Mahama refugee camp in Rwanda.
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/planaustralia
plan.org.au
@PlanAustralia
Global Child Plan International Australia’s Magazine
The champions of the world are waiting for you.
Ian Wishart
I’m excited to announce a national tour! I’ll be visiting every capital city in Australia to listen to the people who keep Plan International going: you. Join me and we’ll chat about what matters to you, how we can help you connect with us better, and ensure that you are satisfied with our approach to helping children. Interested in meeting me? Melbourne is the first stop, on April 11 and 12 with limited places available. Email info@plan.org.au with your details if you’d like to join in.
Contents Community News
Food for Life
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Crisis in Syria
El Niño — what you need to know
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Water is Life
Journey of the letter
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Global Child March 2016. Global Child is the magazine of Plan International Australia and is published biannually. Editorial enquiries: editor@plan.org.au Plan International Australia | Address: 18/60 City Road, Southbank, Melbourne VIC 3006 | Phone: 13 75 26 Fax: 03 9670 1130 | Email: info@plan.org.au | Web: www.plan.org.au To support Plan visit www.plan.org.au. Donations to Plan of $2 or more are tax deductible. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Plan. © 2016. All material in Global Child is under copyright; however, articles and photographs may be reproduced with permission from Plan. Plan is a signatory to the ACFID Code of Conduct and is a trusted recipient of funding from the Australian Government.
@plan_australia
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Rebuilding Nepal
Our community of supporters stepped up when two earthquakes struck Nepal. Homes were destroyed and schools closed for good. But with your support, we could act fast and rebuild. The work isn’t done in Nepal; we are still rebuilding schools, and making sure kids are prepared if another disaster happens in their lifetime. Thanks to you, we can finish the job.
Together, we’ve made this progress and more in Nepal.
71,384
kits containing sanitary pads for women and girls
43,257 73
water kits
safe spaces created for teens
This was made possible thanks to the
$1.3 million
raised by supporters like you in Australia. Thank you.
There’s still work to be done. If you would like to be a part of rebuilding for the long term, sponsor a child from Nepal.
plan.org.au/nepal Manju, 13, a in temporary learning centre built by Plan International. Global Child Plan International Australia’s Magazine
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Community News
Because I am a Girl News
rf am
ily
’s e ia. ven od b ing me m al in Ca
Get ready … get set … go! Runners, cyclists, trekkers, walkers, wheelchair competitors – 2016 is your year! Samuon, 13, cycling ho
to me
h or kf o co
GoFundraise Movie nights, cake bakes, concerts and Sausage sizzles! Through GoFundraise, it’s fun and easy to raise funds for Plan International. You can promote your event and ask your friends and family to pitch in. Get creative, and get in touch.
plan.org.au/act/fundraise
intrepidtravel.com/return-nepal
get training now! Melbourne Marathon
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october is Australia’s month of getting active for girls
Last year runners raised an epic $925,000 for a range of charities – now you can raise funds for Plan International when you sign up for the 5.7km, half or full marathon.
melbournemarathon.com.au
plan.org.au/cycle-for-girls
Global Child Plan International Australia’s Magazine
goals kickeD for girls in one year
1 2 3 4 5
An all-girls football team gathers before playing a football match in Zambia.
2015 was a huge year for girls. Now we’re preparing for another year of progress. We can hear you loud and clear on social media demanding a fairer world, and guess what? Your collective voice is making change. Gender equality is no longer on the backburner – it’s taking front and centre. Here are five wins for 2015.
Guatemala bans child marriage Gender equality, one of the #GlobalGoals signed by world leaders Family violence campaigner Rosie Batty wins Australian of the Year
The Gambia bans Female Genital Mutilation Saudi Arabia elects women into office for the first time
Fight for girls’ rights. Join our Because I am a Girl campaign. facebook.com/becauseiamagirl.au twitter.com/invest_in_girls
becauseiamagirl.com.au
Cycle for Girls in Cambodia 6 - 16 October Get fit, feel good, help girls. This year’s cycle is filling up with inspired people of all cycling levels – with one common goal: to raise critically needed funds to helps girls. Are you in?
October 16
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Trek, love, help Nepal When you book a trip to Nepal with Intrepid Travel, proceeds will help communities affected by the earthquake rebuild. Funds raised will also support a school for children with disabilities in rural Kathmandu. What are you waiting for? To the mountains!
e
say what?! Participants from the 2014 Cycle for Girls
trip.
@Betty Robo Every day should be Day of the Girl!
@Gillian Aeria Here’s a thought...how about the government use the tampon tax they’re earning to help girls out in developing countries with their periods. I’m happy for my tax to be used this way.
@Alexandra McCall We must fight this [gender inequality] with all our strength, I will NOT stand by quietly. Global Child Plan International Australia’s Magazine
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CRISIS IN SYRIA
far from home
Noor, 8, who travelled with her family from Aleppo, Syria, waits to cross the Serbian border into Croatia. 8
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“We cannot simply give up” Programs Director Dave Husy has just returned from Lebanon, where he spoke to Syrian refugee women about violence against them, and fleeing to places safer than home. He took time to reflect on his experience. I’m sitting in a room of women, and discussing the very serious issue of early marriage. Most of the women are Syrian refugees and many of their stories are similar, and tragic. It is the story of despair, with families facing increasingly deteriorating financial circumstances and increasing vulnerability. For some, their conditions have become so desperate they feel they are no longer able to afford to support – nor protect – their daughters, and these women painfully acknowledged they have arranged marriages to older men. If it is painful for them to tell, it is heart-wrenching for us who listen. Lena, the facilitator, artfully guides the discussion toward potential solutions and how each participant can support each other. “We cannot simply give up, we need to help each other to cope,” she urges. This discussion group is one of a series trying to help Lebanese and Syrian families manage the stresses of their lives, and the risks of violence against women. Included in these sessions are themes dealing with anger management, sexual harassment, and self-care. They are complemented by individual counselling and case work undertaken by facilitators and support professionals like Lena. The support is urgently needed. By Lena’s estimate more than 80% of Syrian women suffer severe depression as a result of the trauma of war, dislocation, and poverty and struggle to cope with the basic routine of life and family. The setting is a community health centre outside Beirut, Lebanon. It’s a site that is part of a program to address violence against women and girls and is implemented by Plan International’s partner, International Medical Corps in Lebanon, and runs across 60 centres across this small country. The Plan International program addresses the needs of both host Lebanese communities and refugees. The challenge is enormous as more than one million refugees from Syria and Iraq now reside in Lebanon, a country with a population of 4.5 million and itself recovering from recent conflict. The majority of refugees in Lebanon are not housed in camps and live in areas and buildings, and on land inhabited by local Lebanese communities.
This interaction can cause tension, as both communities try to cope with increasing demand for limited resources. As we prepare to leave, an older woman asks to speak to us privately. She indicates her gratitude to her fellow Lebanese residents for hosting them, and requests greater efforts to support urgent needs. “We need each other, and we need help,” she pleads as she says goodbye. You can support people in conflict through our children in crisis fund. plan.org.au/children-in-crisis.
You – along with other supporters around the world – have helped Plan International respond to the global refugee crisis. Here's how:
Syria
More than 15,000 children have enjoyed childfriendly safe spaces where they can safely play and access other services.
Egypt
Basic needs like sleeping mattresses, kids’ reading tables and chairs have been given to refugees in Egypt.
Lebanon
Violence against women tackled in camps.
iraq
Helping medical teams provide care in refugee camps.
“When I left Syria, the situation there was bad. Now that I’m here I still miss everything in Syria. I miss the land, I miss my people, I miss my relatives. I miss my home. Being a girl living here, we are always afraid of going out and being exposed to harassment or robbery. “I dream of being a dentist to support myself and my country. I dream of being an example of my country. I want to be a good model of a Syrian woman living in Egypt so that my country will be proud of me.” Beyaan, 17, is a student at the classes supported by Plan International in Egypt. Refugees board a train at Tovarnik railway station in Croatia .
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Boun Mee‘s village in Laos has been officially declared ‘open-defecation free’.
The proud toilet-owner The Chief who changed everything Noy, 22, stands proudly in front of her toilet.
“water is life” What does it take to raise healthy kids, free from life-threatening illnesses? An entire village. That’s why with your support, we make sure children, their parents and teachers, plus the village chief are working together to improve sanitation and hygiene.
The handwashing champion
Although Laos has the most water resources of any Asian country per-capita, much of it is unsafe. Drinking water can be contaminated from going to the toilet in the open, causing a variety of health issues. Diarrhea-related diseases are responsible for one-third of all under nutrition cases and one-tenth of deaths among children under the age of five. But in remote Bokeo, Laos, villages are making drastic change to reduce disease. Some villages sit perched on top of huge mountains, with sweeping views of lush jungle and deep valleys. When it rains, roads become unsafe to travel on. And the nearest town is a one-hour drive away. The only way to fetch clean water is through natural supplies like streams. For years, it has been common practice to defecate in natural water supplies like streams due to the absence and use of proper toilets. Over the past five years, Plan International’s supporters have helped equip communities with the tools and know-how to keep water supplies clean, build toilets and prevent disease.
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Thongkhoun, 9, gets ready for some handwashing at home.
Nine-year-old Thongkhoun loves to wash his hands, and he learnt to do this at his school. As a member of a hygiene club established by Plan International in the Pha Oudom district of northern Laos, he is serious about hygiene. He taught his mother how to wash her hands thoroughly – a seven-step process that includes cleaning your palms, wrists and fingers. “If I saw someone with dirty hands who was about to eat food, I would say ‘Stop! It’s dirty. That’s full of disease. You have to wash your hands first or you’ll get sick.’” Thongkhoun the Handwashing Champion, we could all do with a lesson from you!
Global Child Plan International Australia’s Magazine
Can you remember the first time you saw a toilet? 22-year-old Noy does. “I felt confused, and shocked. I thought, where does it go?!” Noy’s neighbours built her toilet three years ago, with guidance from Plan International and now, Noy is no longer confused by her toilet. It has become her pride and joy, and the answer to so many of her community’s problems. “Before we had the toilet we had to go out in the open, sometimes at night. We’d be scared of the dogs and the dark.” Now Noy has a safe, private and clean place to go, and the river near her house stays clean too. She also has a safe place to change and a clean place to clean herself when she has her period.
The fixer-upperer
Boun Mee gets on his loudspeaker.
A visionary leader can transform everything. And Boun Mee, the village Chief, wanted change. Before him, people would complain of stomach pains and vomiting. So he’s worked with Plan International staff to change the behaviour of his community. As a result of his leadership, cows and pigs live in their own pen, and not underneath the house, homes have toilets and entire villiages are washing their hands. Every week he gets on the loudspeaker and reminds people about the benefits of toilets. “Sickness is not acceptable,” he says. The best part? His village has been officially declared ‘open-defecation free’ by his local government. Congratulations, Boun Mee!
Sieng Yeud maintains his village water supply.
It’s rare to find a job that you truly love. But Sieng Yeud has. In his village, Sieng has been appointed by his community to fix and maintain the village’s water supply provided by Plan International. “I was selected by the community because they trust me,” he says. After learning plumbing skills on the job, he repairs leaks, busted pipes and installs new taps at families homes. It’s unusual to see a village in Laos, with so many easily accessible taps – but Sieng remembers what it was like before water supply was in abundance. “Water is life. Without water, we have no life.”
Want to make a difference in Laos? Sponsor a child today! plan.org.au/laos Global Child Plan International Australia’s Magazine
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n a m o W of the world
Today, Barbara lives in Brighton, Melbourne with her husband Ian. Together they have sponsored many children over a number of years – and they currently sponsor Rikardus, Pace and Kristina in Indonesia. She talks with us, recalling memories of living in South Africa, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, France and New Zealand. All memories come with laughs and stories, but most of all, a heartfelt connection to communities who lived there.
Barbara with photos from her travels.
Barbara Paroissien has seen first-hand the need for food, water and education in the developing countries she’s lived in. Now, she has decided to invest in a bequest fund to support generations of children: Food for Life. Barbara has a saying. “Inch by inch, everything’s a cinch. Yard by yard, everything’s hard.” Throughout her life, she’s taken small steps to help people, improve communities, and now, through Plan International, Barbara is leaving a gift in her Will that will go on to help thousands of people access nutritious food when times are tough. Barbara’s relationship with Plan International began on a foundation of trust. Her husband at the time worked with Price Waterhouse Coopers (then Price Waterhouse) who conducted the transparency audit of Plan’s work. “That’s why we went with Plan back then in 1983,” Barbara says. “Because Ian had seen managers go out into the field and do the spot checks on the programs in the field in Indonesia.” Effectiveness and transparency was of most importance to Barbara at the time, and so she knew her donation was safe. She started by sponsoring a girl from Kenya – after all, she had lived in South Africa in her 20s and was inspired by the region.
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Food for Life Investment Fund
because she was able to see the work Plan was doing there at the time with the community in the area. For example, a bridge had been built across a ravine so people could access the local market easily, micro-finance projects were operating and schools were being supported.
Eventually, she moved to Jakarta, Indonesia in 1997 with Ian and their work with Price Waterhouse, and decided to sponsor a 14-yearold girl, Sri. Sri lived in the mountainous area of Pacitan, in the Southwestern region of Indonesia. For months, they wrote letters to one another sharing insights into each other’s lives and sharing stories – what they eat; what they like to do with their time. Until one morning Barbara received a letter from Sri asking, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful Mrs Barbara if you could visit us?” Barbara’s only thought was, “of course.” Barbara turned to a friend living nearby her home in Jakarta and said, “Linda, want to go on an adventure?” Together, they flew and drove their way through rocky terrain, narrow roads, and lush jungle. With local Plan International staff, they reached Sri’s school. “The teacher was so happy to see us. We practiced the small amount of Bahasa that we knew, and met Sri’s family at her home.” Barbara’s sponsor visit was an experience she’ll never forget – particularly
Global Child Plan International Australia’s Magazine
“You cannot learn on an empty stomach.”
There are now one billion people globally experiencing hunger. Plan International’s Food for Life Investment Fund works to reduce this figure with smart, sustainable solutions. By providing food to save lives today, we can ensure that communities are able to meet their own food needs for life. “And if we’re going to continue feeding people in other countries, then we have to have the money to do that with. We have to have the money in place. So if you can have the Food for Life investment fund I think that’s a great start. And it’s important that people know that it’s safe. It’s attractive to me, because I know it’s safe.” Barbara Paroissien, Brighton, Victoria. Would you like to contribute to the Food for Life Investment Fund with a bequest? Contact Celine Bowler for a private conversation.
@ celine.bowler@plan.org.au
03 9672 3657
Barbara has decided to leave a gift in her Will – a bequest to Plan International’s Food for Life Investment Fund. The donor-supported fund is set up to tackle the global hunger crisis, to provide short-term food assistance and longterm solutions to address the root causes of food shortages. This means providing farmers with seeds and tools to grow crops, improving water harvesting and teaching families about the importance of nutrition. For Barbara, “food is the most important thing, especially for children at school. You cannot learn on an empty stomach.” “You have to remember, we can’t solve all the world’s problems. But you can solve some, and help a few people around you. I don’t know if there’s any more one can do. We just keep plugging away, little by little.” Little by little, Barbara has made a world of difference. Food for Life Investment Fund – Background In the generous philanthropic tradition of her late mother Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC, in 2013 Mrs Anne Kantor AO generously pledged a gift of $1 million to the Food for Life Investment Fund. In 2015 Mrs Barbara Paroissien became Plan’s bequest champion for the Food for Life Investment Fund.
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Hunger hurts. You can stop the pain. A lack of food and nutrition is causing severe hunger and malnourishment among children, particularly in East Africa. We need your help. Donate to our Food Appeal today, and your donation is will be multiplied 12 times by the UN World Food Programme. That means your dollar will have a bigger impact, on more children.
plan.org.au/food-appeal or call 13 75 26 What Alfia sees With each passing day, Alfia’s workload is increasing. 560 kilometres from Ethiopia’s capital city of Addis Adaba, more and more malnourished children and pregnant mothers are coming into her clinic. “In the past week alone, we’ve identified 18 children and 32 mothers who are severely malnourished. This number will rise as time goes on as there is no food and rain in the area”
El Niño
“I don’t know what will happen next.”
Helping families cope during extreme weather and dying crops. Children in Tillabéri, Niger.
El Niño, the most severe weather phenomenon in history, is driving millions of people into debt, hunger and poverty. Droughts are already ravaging parts of Africa, the Pacific, Asia, and Central and South America – regions in which we already work – which in turn devastates livelihoods when families rely on their harvest to survive. It could escalate to be one of the most devastating global crises we’ve ever seen. But we can help, one family at a time.
What is El Niño You might remember the last major El Niño in 1997 and 1998 – it lead to thousands of lives lost and destruction, and the outbreak of disease. This time around, climate change is fuelling El Niño into a more severe and destructive crisis. Basically, El Niño is an irregular and complex weather phenomenon that results in unusual droughts or, in other parts of the world, heavy rains and flooding. For the most vulnerable people in the world, it means the destruction of crops and infrastructure, and the inevitable loss of life. Right now, 11 million children risk hunger disease and no clean water.
It’s been an increasingly difficult year for Chaltu and her family.
Alfia measuring the upper arm of a malnourished child.
As a farmer in rural Ethiopia, her livelihood solely depends on a plentiful harvest. So this year as crops fail, it means no food, and no water. A lack of nutrition and food is causing severe hunger and malnourishment among children in Chaltu’s community. And her two-year-old son is at risk. “There is no rain this year. Our crops have dried up,” says Chaltu. “As you can see, my child has been affected by a disease caused by lack of food and water. “We don’t have water supply, and unless it is rains, our situation will become much worse. “I don’t know what will happen next, we have no hope for our crops and the little water that we use over there has dried out. We need urgent assistance,” adds Chaltu.
Chaltu in her dried crop field in Oromia regional state.
What we’re doing about it With your support we’re acting fast and efficiently to reach the most vulnerable. Here’s how:
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•
Focusing on children with disabilities, the elderly and pregnant women
•
Meeting nutritional needs of children to combat malnourishment
•
Helping families and farmers who rely on agriculture to generate income
•
Providing food and healthcare to 7,196 children and 8,690 pregnant women in northern Ethiopia.
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! l i a m t o g v e ’ u o Y loca l field d child, ponsore s r u o y y. le journe u write to When yo takes an incredib , receiving r rs your lette for many sponso – t a me time th o s w o e n k ta n We k a c r letter return how you ’s re a letter in e H e wait? theirs. so why th m your home to o gets fr
of fice
ild? onsor a ch p s u o y o D em is easy. Writing to th u y.plan.org.a Just visit m
When your letter arrives at the local field office, a community volunteer will take the letter to your sponsored child – this travel might involve aeroplane, car, motorbike, bicycle, boat, walking or even a donkey!
The community volunteer will return to the sponsored child to collect a response. If your sponsored child can’t yet write, then a volunteer will help them.
it arrives!
t r a t s
third stop
your house
p o t s d n o sec
first stop Your letter arrives at our head office in Melbourne. When it gets here, it’s registered, checked by our dedicated volunteers, and then on its way to your sponsored child.
plan internatio nal australia
Countr y head office Next stop: your sponsored child’s country – specifically, the Plan International office there. Your letter might be one of 1,000 that week. Your letter is translated so your sponsored child can understand it.
begin again
If this is the first time you have communicated with your sponsored child, it’s highly possible this is the first time they’ve ever received a letter, or even had contact with someone in another country. How special is that?
become a child sponsor today. Right now, there are thousands of children who need sponsors. We know sponsorship works. It means we can work with entire communities to develop longterm solutions to fight poverty and promote the rights of children. But we need your help. In an increasingly complex world, children are still experiencing poverty, discrimination and conflict. By becoming a child sponsor, you can support children and their communities. When you sponsor a child, you learn about their daily lives and give them a window into yours. You can even visit your sponsored child to see the real impact your sponsorship has on their family and entire community.
“I feel happy when I receive letters and photos from my sponsor.”
If you’ve been thinking of sponsoring another child, or you’ve never sponsored before - now is the time. Children are waiting for you. Sponsor a child today. Fill out the leaflet enclosed to get started, or pass it on to a friend.
plan.org.au/sponsorship
Sophary, 10 is sponsored child from Cambodia who loves going to school. She dreams of being a healthcare worker one day – and knows exactly how to get there: "I'll finish studying here, and then ask my parents if I can move to Siem Reap to study more,” she says. Now that's a girl with ambition!
Children thanking Plan International supporters at their school in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
your support means a fairer world for children. Keep up to date with progress we’re making together. /planaustralia @PlanAustralia @plan_australia
13 75 26 plan.org.au
This publication has been printed by an ISO 14001 environmental management system (EMS) and ISO 9001 quality management system (QMS) certified printer using vegetable based inks and a 100% alcohol free printing process. It is manufactured using an independently audited carbon neutral process. The paper is ecoStar, a FSC® Recycled certified paper made carbon neutral (CN), manufactured from 100% post consumer recycled paper in a process chlorine free environment and under an ISO 14001 EMS. This publication is fully recyclable, please dispose of wisely. 20
Global Child Plan International Australia’s Magazine