Plan Bangladesh Annual Program Report 2007

146.5mm FLAP

148.5mm BACK

Challenge and change in Bangladesh

Real progress

Bangladesh was hit hard by natural disasters last year. Over nine million people across northern and central areas of the country were affected by flooding, and Plan joined with relief efforts to supply families with items like food, clean water, clothes and medicines.

Thanks to all those supporters who made a special donation towards this work.

With the support of Plan, children and adults in Bangladesh are working together to develop their communities and claim their right to a better future. And real progress is being made.

Last year, our work included:

More recently, the coast was battered by a cyclone, causing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Again, Plan stepped in to provide help.

Over the year, our work with the poorest families continued to improve the quality of life for their children. We focussed on four key areas: building services to protect children’s health, providing the opportunity for a decent education, offering training and financial services to increase family incomes and promoting children’s roles in developing their communities.

Success depends on teamwork, and every project we begin is a joint endeavour between Plan, our partner organisations, communities and their children. As Ned Espey, Country Director for Plan Bangladesh explains, we all share “the vision that children will realise their potential and work together with respect and dignity.” p Plan is helping poo r Bangladeshis to start their own businesses, and so imp rove their families’ inco mes

And Bangladeshi children are already working to change their own lives, as the case-study in this Country Progress Report explains.

Bangladesh country facts Capital: Dhaka

Primary-age children out of school: 16%

UN Human Development Index ranking: 137th (of 177 countries)

Rural people without adequate sanitation: 61%

People who live on less than 50p a day: 36%

(Sources: the UN, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office)

Population: 135 million

• Protecting children from disease caused by poor sanitation by running a programme in 259 schools to teach children about good hygiene and how to promote it within their communities

for schooling and for their development by establishing 568 nurseries

• Helping over 200 families living in extreme poverty to provide better food

Any enquiries please contact: Nick Burton. e: nick@bright-uk.com m: 07884 367567. d: 020 7620 8150 Size (Prod)

Colours(Prod)

Art (A/D)

Copy (C/W)

Content (Acc.)

Bangladesh

for their children and improve their income by training them in mushroom growing and poultry farming

• Working with partners including UNICEF and the government on a programme to ensure that all children in Bangladesh are registered at birth, so they can prove their rights to education, healthcare and other basics.

Plan’s greatest successes come from a joint effort combining the hard work and determination of communities, children, volunteers, staff, and partner organisations. The ongoing support of our sponsors is a vital ingredient, too. It’s their generosity and commitment that allows us to continue to help children in 49 of the poorest countries in the world.

So on behalf of the children and communities we work with, thank you to all our sponsors!

BGD

0407 100647 PLAN 0407_Bangladesh 10.12.07 210x443.5mm FOLD TO A5 Client proof: 2 3

p Plan is pro moting good hygiene (for ex hands after go ample, wa ing to the toilet ) which is crucia shing stopping disea ses like diarrh l to oea

• Giving over 12,500 very young children the foundations

Plan UK Registered Charity No: 276035

Admagic No: Bright No: Client name: File name: Date: Size: Studio proof:

148.5mm FRONT

Country Progress Report 2007

146.5mm FLAP

148.5mm BACK

Challenge and change in Bangladesh

Real progress

Bangladesh was hit hard by natural disasters last year. Over nine million people across northern and central areas of the country were affected by flooding, and Plan joined with relief efforts to supply families with items like food, clean water, clothes and medicines.

Thanks to all those supporters who made a special donation towards this work.

With the support of Plan, children and adults in Bangladesh are working together to develop their communities and claim their right to a better future. And real progress is being made.

Last year, our work included:

More recently, the coast was battered by a cyclone, causing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Again, Plan stepped in to provide help.

Over the year, our work with the poorest families continued to improve the quality of life for their children. We focussed on four key areas: building services to protect children’s health, providing the opportunity for a decent education, offering training and financial services to increase family incomes and promoting children’s roles in developing their communities.

Success depends on teamwork, and every project we begin is a joint endeavour between Plan, our partner organisations, communities and their children. As Ned Espey, Country Director for Plan Bangladesh explains, we all share “the vision that children will realise their potential and work together with respect and dignity.” p Plan is helping poo r Bangladeshis to start their own businesses, and so imp rove their families’ inco mes

And Bangladeshi children are already working to change their own lives, as the case-study in this Country Progress Report explains.

Bangladesh country facts Capital: Dhaka

Primary-age children out of school: 16%

UN Human Development Index ranking: 137th (of 177 countries)

Rural people without adequate sanitation: 61%

People who live on less than 50p a day: 36%

(Sources: the UN, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office)

Population: 135 million

• Protecting children from disease caused by poor sanitation by running a programme in 259 schools to teach children about good hygiene and how to promote it within their communities

for schooling and for their development by establishing 568 nurseries

• Helping over 200 families living in extreme poverty to provide better food

Any enquiries please contact: Nick Burton. e: nick@bright-uk.com m: 07884 367567. d: 020 7620 8150 Size (Prod)

Colours(Prod)

Art (A/D)

Copy (C/W)

Content (Acc.)

Bangladesh

for their children and improve their income by training them in mushroom growing and poultry farming

• Working with partners including UNICEF and the government on a programme to ensure that all children in Bangladesh are registered at birth, so they can prove their rights to education, healthcare and other basics.

Plan’s greatest successes come from a joint effort combining the hard work and determination of communities, children, volunteers, staff, and partner organisations. The ongoing support of our sponsors is a vital ingredient, too. It’s their generosity and commitment that allows us to continue to help children in 49 of the poorest countries in the world.

So on behalf of the children and communities we work with, thank you to all our sponsors!

BGD

0407 100647 PLAN 0407_Bangladesh 10.12.07 210x443.5mm FOLD TO A5 Client proof: 2 3

p Plan is pro moting good hygiene (for ex hands after go ample, wa ing to the toilet ) which is crucia shing stopping disea ses like diarrh l to oea

• Giving over 12,500 very young children the foundations

Plan UK Registered Charity No: 276035

Admagic No: Bright No: Client name: File name: Date: Size: Studio proof:

148.5mm FRONT

Country Progress Report 2007

148.5mm INSIDE

148.5mm INSIDE

Sharing views

Club for change in Dhaka

“I was born in Comilla, Eastern Bangladesh,” explains Jatish. “I was enrolled in school very late. It was due to my father’s ignorance. He was involved in gambling and wasted all the money that he earned.”

Jatish knows exactly how he wants his life to develop. “I wish to grow to my full potential and work with child rights in the future,” he explains.

It’s an impressive ambition in any part of the world, but in the slums of Bangladesh, it’s even more inspiring.

Jatish lives in Vhasantak, one of the poorest parts of the capital, Dhaka, where most people scrape by on less than 50 pence a day.

Families often arrive here from rural villages in search of a better life. But when they get here, many struggle to meet even their most basic needs.

Children are particularly vulnerable.

Many parents cannot afford to feed their children properly, to buy medicines for them when they are ill, or to send them to school.

There are other reasons why children like Jatish are at risk. For the most part, families, schools and wider society in Bangladesh expect children to be seen, but not heard, unquestioning in their respect for adult decisions and uninvolved in the progress of their communities. Worryingly, this makes it

Heavily in debt, Jatish’s family were forced to move to Vhasantak in Dhaka when he was eight years old.

p Jatish (centre) chairs one

of the Children’s Organisation’s meeti

easy for adults to conceal mistreatment or abuse.

But life will be different for Jatish, thanks to his involvement in the “Children’s Organisation”, one of over 400 clubs launched by Plan and children in the poorest parts of Bangladesh to give young people the opportunity to make friends, talk about issues affecting their lives and learn about their rights.

“I saw that children of my age in the area used to go to school to study,” Jatish says. “I became very interested in going to school too. But my parents were not much interested in my education.” ngs

Fortunately, after some persuasion, Jatish’s parents finally enrolled him in primary school. From that moment on, he had the chance he craved to carve out a better life for himself.

issues that mattered to them in their school life and in the wider community.

They staged drama productions for their friends and families, covering subjects like the need for every child to go to school, for example, or the dangers of child marriage.

“I realised that if I could join them,” says Jatish, “I would be able to do something for myself and the people.”

So he asked his friend Biswanath if he could take part. “The Children’s Organisation is not only doing drama, but making people aware of important topics and contributing to the development of the area. I felt really good to be a member,” he says.

Claiming rights

“I saw that children of my age in the area used to go to school. I became very interested in going to school too. But my parents were not much interested in my education.”

Such enthusiasm is exactly what Plan hopes for when we work with children to help them set up children’s clubs.

More than 12,000 children take part in the clubs, across all the areas where Plan works. The clubs aim to give young people a voice that is so often denied them in their families and communities.

The other children in the area were finding ways of sharing their views on

Run by children for children, with professional support from Plan, they

146.5mm INSIDE

offer a friendly, caring environment where children can talk about the challenges they are facing at home or elsewhere and learn how to promote their rights.

Once a part of the clubs, the children quickly learn that they have the right to an education, to decent healthcare and to live without the fear of exploitation.

For many children, the very notion that they have rights, defined by law, is completely new. Like their families, most have never heard of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the international treaty that sets out how children can expect to be protected and nurtured as they grow up.

Children’s rights include the right to an education, the right to decent healthcare and to live in safety without the fear of exploitation or abuse. Once part of the clubs, children quickly learn about these rights.

They learn too how to work as a team, how to express their opinions and promote their concerns to the wider community. These skills are helping them to identify problems in their villages, and play their part in finding solutions.

For example, when four children were not attending school, Jatish and his friends from the club convinced their parents they should go. And after learning about diseases caused by poor sanitation, Jatish organised a loan to install a toilet in his house and inspired his friend to do the same.

But it was persuading his cousin not to marry a 15-year-old girl that finally convinced Jatish he was really changing lives. “I informed my cousin about the dangers of early marriage and the laws of the country. He asked how I knew all this when I was only a child. I informed him about the Children’s Organisation.

Later, after realising the dangers, he changed his mind on early marriage.”

Jatish is now president of his children’s club, a role he thought he would never achieve. Elected by his peers, he has the confidence and the determination to shape a new future, not just for himself but for all children.

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

148.5mm INSIDE

148.5mm INSIDE

Sharing views

Club for change in Dhaka

“I was born in Comilla, Eastern Bangladesh,” explains Jatish. “I was enrolled in school very late. It was due to my father’s ignorance. He was involved in gambling and wasted all the money that he earned.”

Jatish knows exactly how he wants his life to develop. “I wish to grow to my full potential and work with child rights in the future,” he explains.

It’s an impressive ambition in any part of the world, but in the slums of Bangladesh, it’s even more inspiring.

Jatish lives in Vhasantak, one of the poorest parts of the capital, Dhaka, where most people scrape by on less than 50 pence a day.

Families often arrive here from rural villages in search of a better life. But when they get here, many struggle to meet even their most basic needs.

Children are particularly vulnerable.

Many parents cannot afford to feed their children properly, to buy medicines for them when they are ill, or to send them to school.

There are other reasons why children like Jatish are at risk. For the most part, families, schools and wider society in Bangladesh expect children to be seen, but not heard, unquestioning in their respect for adult decisions and uninvolved in the progress of their communities. Worryingly, this makes it

Heavily in debt, Jatish’s family were forced to move to Vhasantak in Dhaka when he was eight years old.

p Jatish (centre) chairs one

of the Children’s Organisation’s meeti

easy for adults to conceal mistreatment or abuse.

But life will be different for Jatish, thanks to his involvement in the “Children’s Organisation”, one of over 400 clubs launched by Plan and children in the poorest parts of Bangladesh to give young people the opportunity to make friends, talk about issues affecting their lives and learn about their rights.

“I saw that children of my age in the area used to go to school to study,” Jatish says. “I became very interested in going to school too. But my parents were not much interested in my education.” ngs

Fortunately, after some persuasion, Jatish’s parents finally enrolled him in primary school. From that moment on, he had the chance he craved to carve out a better life for himself.

issues that mattered to them in their school life and in the wider community.

They staged drama productions for their friends and families, covering subjects like the need for every child to go to school, for example, or the dangers of child marriage.

“I realised that if I could join them,” says Jatish, “I would be able to do something for myself and the people.”

So he asked his friend Biswanath if he could take part. “The Children’s Organisation is not only doing drama, but making people aware of important topics and contributing to the development of the area. I felt really good to be a member,” he says.

Claiming rights

“I saw that children of my age in the area used to go to school. I became very interested in going to school too. But my parents were not much interested in my education.”

Such enthusiasm is exactly what Plan hopes for when we work with children to help them set up children’s clubs.

More than 12,000 children take part in the clubs, across all the areas where Plan works. The clubs aim to give young people a voice that is so often denied them in their families and communities.

The other children in the area were finding ways of sharing their views on

Run by children for children, with professional support from Plan, they

146.5mm INSIDE

offer a friendly, caring environment where children can talk about the challenges they are facing at home or elsewhere and learn how to promote their rights.

Once a part of the clubs, the children quickly learn that they have the right to an education, to decent healthcare and to live without the fear of exploitation.

For many children, the very notion that they have rights, defined by law, is completely new. Like their families, most have never heard of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the international treaty that sets out how children can expect to be protected and nurtured as they grow up.

Children’s rights include the right to an education, the right to decent healthcare and to live in safety without the fear of exploitation or abuse. Once part of the clubs, children quickly learn about these rights.

They learn too how to work as a team, how to express their opinions and promote their concerns to the wider community. These skills are helping them to identify problems in their villages, and play their part in finding solutions.

For example, when four children were not attending school, Jatish and his friends from the club convinced their parents they should go. And after learning about diseases caused by poor sanitation, Jatish organised a loan to install a toilet in his house and inspired his friend to do the same.

But it was persuading his cousin not to marry a 15-year-old girl that finally convinced Jatish he was really changing lives. “I informed my cousin about the dangers of early marriage and the laws of the country. He asked how I knew all this when I was only a child. I informed him about the Children’s Organisation.

Later, after realising the dangers, he changed his mind on early marriage.”

Jatish is now president of his children’s club, a role he thought he would never achieve. Elected by his peers, he has the confidence and the determination to shape a new future, not just for himself but for all children.

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

148.5mm INSIDE

148.5mm INSIDE

Sharing views

Club for change in Dhaka

“I was born in Comilla, Eastern Bangladesh,” explains Jatish. “I was enrolled in school very late. It was due to my father’s ignorance. He was involved in gambling and wasted all the money that he earned.”

Jatish knows exactly how he wants his life to develop. “I wish to grow to my full potential and work with child rights in the future,” he explains.

It’s an impressive ambition in any part of the world, but in the slums of Bangladesh, it’s even more inspiring.

Jatish lives in Vhasantak, one of the poorest parts of the capital, Dhaka, where most people scrape by on less than 50 pence a day.

Families often arrive here from rural villages in search of a better life. But when they get here, many struggle to meet even their most basic needs.

Children are particularly vulnerable.

Many parents cannot afford to feed their children properly, to buy medicines for them when they are ill, or to send them to school.

There are other reasons why children like Jatish are at risk. For the most part, families, schools and wider society in Bangladesh expect children to be seen, but not heard, unquestioning in their respect for adult decisions and uninvolved in the progress of their communities. Worryingly, this makes it

Heavily in debt, Jatish’s family were forced to move to Vhasantak in Dhaka when he was eight years old.

p Jatish (centre) chairs one

of the Children’s Organisation’s meeti

easy for adults to conceal mistreatment or abuse.

But life will be different for Jatish, thanks to his involvement in the “Children’s Organisation”, one of over 400 clubs launched by Plan and children in the poorest parts of Bangladesh to give young people the opportunity to make friends, talk about issues affecting their lives and learn about their rights.

“I saw that children of my age in the area used to go to school to study,” Jatish says. “I became very interested in going to school too. But my parents were not much interested in my education.” ngs

Fortunately, after some persuasion, Jatish’s parents finally enrolled him in primary school. From that moment on, he had the chance he craved to carve out a better life for himself.

issues that mattered to them in their school life and in the wider community.

They staged drama productions for their friends and families, covering subjects like the need for every child to go to school, for example, or the dangers of child marriage.

“I realised that if I could join them,” says Jatish, “I would be able to do something for myself and the people.”

So he asked his friend Biswanath if he could take part. “The Children’s Organisation is not only doing drama, but making people aware of important topics and contributing to the development of the area. I felt really good to be a member,” he says.

Claiming rights

“I saw that children of my age in the area used to go to school. I became very interested in going to school too. But my parents were not much interested in my education.”

Such enthusiasm is exactly what Plan hopes for when we work with children to help them set up children’s clubs.

More than 12,000 children take part in the clubs, across all the areas where Plan works. The clubs aim to give young people a voice that is so often denied them in their families and communities.

The other children in the area were finding ways of sharing their views on

Run by children for children, with professional support from Plan, they

146.5mm INSIDE

offer a friendly, caring environment where children can talk about the challenges they are facing at home or elsewhere and learn how to promote their rights.

Once a part of the clubs, the children quickly learn that they have the right to an education, to decent healthcare and to live without the fear of exploitation.

For many children, the very notion that they have rights, defined by law, is completely new. Like their families, most have never heard of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the international treaty that sets out how children can expect to be protected and nurtured as they grow up.

Children’s rights include the right to an education, the right to decent healthcare and to live in safety without the fear of exploitation or abuse. Once part of the clubs, children quickly learn about these rights.

They learn too how to work as a team, how to express their opinions and promote their concerns to the wider community. These skills are helping them to identify problems in their villages, and play their part in finding solutions.

For example, when four children were not attending school, Jatish and his friends from the club convinced their parents they should go. And after learning about diseases caused by poor sanitation, Jatish organised a loan to install a toilet in his house and inspired his friend to do the same.

But it was persuading his cousin not to marry a 15-year-old girl that finally convinced Jatish he was really changing lives. “I informed my cousin about the dangers of early marriage and the laws of the country. He asked how I knew all this when I was only a child. I informed him about the Children’s Organisation.

Later, after realising the dangers, he changed his mind on early marriage.”

Jatish is now president of his children’s club, a role he thought he would never achieve. Elected by his peers, he has the confidence and the determination to shape a new future, not just for himself but for all children.

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

146.5mm FLAP

148.5mm BACK

Challenge and change in Bangladesh

Real progress

Bangladesh was hit hard by natural disasters last year. Over nine million people across northern and central areas of the country were affected by flooding, and Plan joined with relief efforts to supply families with items like food, clean water, clothes and medicines.

Thanks to all those supporters who made a special donation towards this work.

With the support of Plan, children and adults in Bangladesh are working together to develop their communities and claim their right to a better future. And real progress is being made.

Last year, our work included:

More recently, the coast was battered by a cyclone, causing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Again, Plan stepped in to provide help.

Over the year, our work with the poorest families continued to improve the quality of life for their children. We focussed on four key areas: building services to protect children’s health, providing the opportunity for a decent education, offering training and financial services to increase family incomes and promoting children’s roles in developing their communities.

Success depends on teamwork, and every project we begin is a joint endeavour between Plan, our partner organisations, communities and their children. As Ned Espey, Country Director for Plan Bangladesh explains, we all share “the vision that children will realise their potential and work together with respect and dignity.” p Plan is helping poo r Bangladeshis to start their own businesses, and so imp rove their families’ inco mes

And Bangladeshi children are already working to change their own lives, as the case-study in this Country Progress Report explains.

Bangladesh country facts Capital: Dhaka

Primary-age children out of school: 16%

UN Human Development Index ranking: 137th (of 177 countries)

Rural people without adequate sanitation: 61%

People who live on less than 50p a day: 36%

(Sources: the UN, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office)

Population: 135 million

• Protecting children from disease caused by poor sanitation by running a programme in 259 schools to teach children about good hygiene and how to promote it within their communities

for schooling and for their development by establishing 568 nurseries

• Helping over 200 families living in extreme poverty to provide better food

Any enquiries please contact: Nick Burton. e: nick@bright-uk.com m: 07884 367567. d: 020 7620 8150 Size (Prod)

Colours(Prod)

Art (A/D)

Copy (C/W)

Content (Acc.)

Bangladesh

for their children and improve their income by training them in mushroom growing and poultry farming

• Working with partners including UNICEF and the government on a programme to ensure that all children in Bangladesh are registered at birth, so they can prove their rights to education, healthcare and other basics.

Plan’s greatest successes come from a joint effort combining the hard work and determination of communities, children, volunteers, staff, and partner organisations. The ongoing support of our sponsors is a vital ingredient, too. It’s their generosity and commitment that allows us to continue to help children in 49 of the poorest countries in the world.

So on behalf of the children and communities we work with, thank you to all our sponsors!

BGD

0407 100647 PLAN 0407_Bangladesh 10.12.07 210x443.5mm FOLD TO A5 Client proof: 2 3

p Plan is pro moting good hygiene (for ex hands after go ample, wa ing to the toilet ) which is crucia shing stopping disea ses like diarrh l to oea

• Giving over 12,500 very young children the foundations

Plan UK Registered Charity No: 276035

Admagic No: Bright No: Client name: File name: Date: Size: Studio proof:

148.5mm FRONT

Country Progress Report 2007