Strategy
Two Chinese girls eating local foodPlan China’s Country Strategic Plan for 2008-2012 is dedicated to achieving lasting improvements in the lives of deprived children.
Thirty-four million children in China live in poverty, mostly in rural Western China. Their health is at risk because they do not have sufficient access to quality community health services and because their parents lack sufficient awareness of hygiene, sanitation and health care practices.
Children are unable to obtain a quality education that teaches them basic life skills. In part this is because of the widespread lack of teachers trained to focus on the needs of children.
Poor children, especially the most vulnerable - including girls living in rural areas, orphans, children abandoned when their parents migrate, and disabled children - do not receive adequate care and protection.
Key goals
To tackle these issues, Plan China has set key goals in 5 main programme areas:
- Maternal and child health - improving the health of all children.
- Advocacy for child rights - supporting and protecting children, especially the most vulnerable.
- Education for all - ensuring access to quality education and care.
- Community-driven water, environment and sanitation - • ensuring sustained access to safe water, basic sanitation and good hygiene behaviour.
- Sustainable livelihoods - generating opportunities for families to earn sufficient income to meet children’s needs.
Progress
Plan China is moving towards Child Centred Community Development programming, which focuses on children’s needs and rights, and uses evidence-based advocacy to engage government policy and practice.
Our School Improvement Programme has effectively promoted child participation in school development planning at provincial level and linked this to replicable improvements in teacher training.
A national partnership between Plan China and the State Council Leading Group for Poverty Alleviation has introduced a successful water and sanitation pilot scheme which has improved hygiene awareness and encouraged positive behaviour change.
