Urmila has been an advocate for girls' rights since she escaped the kamalari system.

11 June 2013: A young Nepalese campaigner seriously injured at a girls' rights protest last week is recovering well after being discharged from hospital on Saturday.

Urmila Chaudhary, 22, a former kamalari (child servant) girl, was taking part in a 3-day sit-in at Ratnapark, Kathmandu, calling on the Nepalese government to investigate the deaths of 6 teenage girls, the disappearances of 27 and the pregnancies of 11 others while working as kamalaris in households. Although bonded labour was legally abolished in Nepal in 2000, it still continues, with young girls informally contracted as kamalaris to work in households in return for money or education.

As the demonstration escalated, Plan girls’ campaign ambassador Urmila was pushed to the ground, suffering head injuries and losing consciousness, while 5 other girls and young women were injured, some suffering broken bones. Urmila was admitted to hospital where she was treated for her wounds before being discharged into the care of her friends along with all the other girls.

Standing up for girls’ rights

Urmila was contracted as a kamalari when she was just 6 years old and found herself trapped in the system for 11 years, working tirelessly around the clock without earning a penny. She managed to escape when she was 17 after learning the system was illegal and, with the help of Plan International and partners, was able to gain an education.

Since then, Urmila has been fighting for the rights of the many kamalari girls. She is the first President of the Common Forum for Kamalari Freedom, an organisation founded by girls and women to fight for their own rights, and regularly meets with the Nepalese president and ministers in Kathmandu to campaign for education of ex-kamalari girls.

Kamalari Abolition Project

Urmila is also a key part of Plan International’s Kamalari Abolition Project. Launched in 2005, the project has helped free hundreds of young girls and enables them to return home by helping parents earn a livelihood so they don’t feel pressured to send their child out to work. The project also helps rescued girls receive educational support and livelihood programmes.

Last year, Urmila was a key speaker at the inaugural UN International Day of the Girl launch in New York where she was an ambassador for Plan’s Because I am a Girl campaign.

Find out more about Plan's Because I am Girl campaign.

Tropical Storm Mahasen is likely to gather strength before it makes landfall. (Picture from Tropical Storm Risk)

12 May 2013: So how do you prepare for a cyclone and what exactly do you do?

On Friday afternoon we received a notification through our early alert system that Tropical Storm One (now known locally as Mahasen) had formed in the Indian Ocean and was predicted to make landfall in Myanmar in the middle of the following week. This alert immediately triggered our monitoring system, with the regional disaster risk management (DRM) and communications teams working in close coordination with their counterparts around the world.

Currently, it is a tropical storm predicted to increase strength and become a category 2 cyclone with wind speeds of up to 110 miles per hour.

Winds of change

It is incredibly hard to predict the path and impact of a volatile weather formation like this – they have a habit of changing course and rapidly increasing or decreasing in strength. On Friday, the forecast was that Myanmar was in the cyclone’s path. On Saturday it moved to the area around Chittagong in Bangladesh.

It also looks likely that India will be affected. With the information we have, we are putting all necessary measures in place. Plan is treating Mahasen as a multi-country emergency, primarily covering Bangladesh and Myanmar simultaneously. Both country offices are on high alert.

As the most disaster-prone continent in the world, we have worked hard to ensure that disaster preparedness is a top priority. Asia accounts for more than 60% of all natural-disaster-related deaths. Last year, six of the 10 deadliest disasters were in the region.

Wheels in motion

Today (three days before the expected landfall) we put together our first situation report (Sitrep) on the expected cyclone, its predicted impact and the measures we have put in place. This Yellow Alert (Red being the highest) draws on official information issued by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, who are closely monitoring the situation and have triggered their own preparedness measures.

On the ground, our country office Emergency Response Teams have been activated and will be on standby while staff will be attending coordination meetings and reconnecting with donors. Bangladesh has pre-positioned relief materials in place that will be moved tonight while three staff are on their way to Chittagong.

Deployable staff in the region and around the world have been put on standby while our communications teams are working together to ensure that critical information is flowing.

It might seem like a lot of effort for a disaster that may not eventuate, but this is the nature of disaster response – we simply can't afford to be unprepared.

Media contacts:

Matt Crook (Plan web/social media in Asia), matt.crook@plan-international.org, +66 812 5785 21

Tony Gomes (Plan Bangladesh communications manager), tony.gomes@plan-international.org, +88-01713-11-1157, +88-01973-08-2418

Hengmeang (left) and Sophoeurn (right) with their proud mums.

9 May 2013: Two students will be flying the flag for Cambodia to share their experiences of disasters at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction* in Geneva, Switzerland, May 19-23. Seventeen-year-old Hengmeang and 18-year-old Sophoeurn will be making the trip overseas to share their experiences and opinions, including at the Resilient Future We Want high level side event, which is being organised by the Children in Changing Climate coalition, including Plan International, Save the Children and World Vision.

On a mission

The dynamic duo, who will join 6 other young delegates invited by the coalition, will get a rare opportunity to come face to face with major global players to talk about the importance of involving children in disaster risk reduction activities. Cambodia experiences a wide range of disasters every year, including floods, storms, drought and landslides.

“It’s really a great honour for me to participate in this event,” says Hengmeang, who comes from Kampong Cham and helps other youngsters find ways to get involved in disaster management in his community. “When I get the chance, I will tell everyone that child participation in disaster preparedness is vital because hundreds of children are drowned by floods every year,” he adds.

Making children central to community disaster risk reduction initiatives is a founding principle of the work Plan does in Cambodia.

“Involving young people in disaster risk reduction is easy and can take many forms. Children can get involved in mapping hazards in their communities, they can raise awareness through games, radio and drama performances, and they can influence others, including parents and teachers, on how to reduce the effects of disasters,” says Pevxhenda Bun, Plan’s Regional Safe School Project Manager in Asia.

Safe schools

Sophoeurn and Hengmeang will also be on hand to present a statement at a side event about Safe Schools. High on the agenda will be discussing ways to ensure education facilities are as safe as possible for when disasters strike. This ties in with the UN’s One Million Safe Schools and Hospitals Campaign, which Plan is heavily involved with in Asia.

No stranger to the international circuit, Sophoeurn last year travelled to Yogyakarta in Indonesia to be part of the 5th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. Once again, Sophoeurn, who comes from a small village in Srei Snom district in Siem Reap, can’t wait to make her voice heard.

“I’m very excited. I will raise the issues faced by children in my village during the conference. I hope the voices from children will be heard and supported,” she says.

* Plan is not responsible for the content of external sites.

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29 March 2013: The message was clear at the Bangkok red carpet premiere of the Girl Rising* movie: educate girls, change the world. About 200 people attended the screening of the movie, which tells the stories of 9 brave girls from around the globe who have had to overcome adversity in their lives. Girls like Suma, who was forced into bonded labour at 6, or Amina, who was had to marry long before she was ready.

Among those in attendance was Kristie Kenney, the US Ambassador to Thailand, who took to Twitter after watching the film and called Girl Rising “an inspiring, compelling movie on the value of educating girls”.

Working together

Journalists, aid workers, members of the corporate sector and other distinguished guests all had something to say about the movie, which was being screened by Plan Thailand and Intel Thailand, both of whom have worked together on projects supporting children’s rights in Thailand. Plan and Intel are partners of 10x10*, the global action campaign for girls’ education that is behind Girl Rising.

Speaking after the movie about partnerships, Maja Cubarrubia , Plan Thailand’s country director, said improving the lives of girls requires input from all sectors.

“When the private sector and an organisation like ours work together, we can make things happen, but we need to get other people to participate. We need to get government to participate so that the girls in fact can have better lives.”

The importance of education

Aspiring actress Alice Tsoi, the mistress of ceremonies for the evening, said she was overcome by the stories of the 9 girls in the movie.

“After watching Girl Rising I started to realise the importance of education for girls,” she said. “Education brings about positive change. The stories of the 9 girls in the film are truly an inspiration. They fight for their right to an education. I think it's time for us to think about something that we can do to help.”

Karla Cripps, senior editor for CNN Travel* in Bangkok, said Girl Rising is a film everyone should see.

“I thought it was an excellent film. It was very inspirational and I really hope more people have a chance to see it so that the message spreads. As Girl Rising clearly shows, there is a lot we can do just by supporting films like this and educating people on the value of sending girls to school.”

Click this link to check out some of the social media highlights from the screening.*

Click here to read more about what Plan does to support the rights of girls around the world.

*Plan is not responsible for the content of external sites.

A boy draws a map showing the risks and hazards in his village.

December 2012: “It seems that I underestimated rural children’s abilities in painting, analysis and thinking in our mountainous areas. In fact, they’re very capable of figuring out the risks and vulnerabilities in their surroundings from the perspective of children,” said Mr Huang, a teacher from Adebo Primary School in Jinping County.

Compared with adults, children are a more vulnerable group in disasters, due to their lack of awareness of disaster prevention and response. In view of this situation, Plan China is working with the relevant government departments in Jinping County – one of the key disaster prevention and mitigation areas in Yunnan Province – to implement a project on child-centred disaster risk reduction education.

The project aims to emphasise the issue of children’s safety in schools and communities and explore good practices in disaster risk reduction education and advocacy.

Safe and sound

The concept of “safe schools‟, which aims to improve the capacities of children, teachers and community members in terms of disaster reduction, prevention and response, is highly valued in the child-centred disaster risk reduction education project. In addition, children’s participation is emphasised throughout the entire process of school security development.

The project will also help to raise awareness and capability in disaster risk reduction among civil society organisation. More than 100 community members and 3,700 children will benefit from the project. Special attention will be paid to marginalised groups, such as left-behind children, children with disabilities and girls.

In March 2012, representatives from 10 schools received relevant training in terms of hazards, vulnerability and capacity analysis, self and mutual rescue, disaster prevention, and emergency simulation. They then took what they’d learnt and passed it on to other teachers and students.

Monique and Harper, out and about.

20 December 2012: 2011 was a rough year for Aussie Monique Senior. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a little before her daughter Harper’s first birthday and spent the rest of the year receiving treatment while trying to maintain some semblance of normality in her life. But today, the 40-year-old mum has beaten breast cancer and is ready for a new challenge – one that she has full control over.

In March 2013, Monique will cycle 450 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to Siem Reap in Cambodia. The route has been carefully mapped out by the Australian fundraising arm of Plan International, a global child-centred development agency. The ride, which will take eight days to complete, is part of Plan Australia’s Cycle For Girls challenge to raise funds for Because I am a Girl, Plan’s global campaign for girls’ rights.

“I have not done anything like this before,” says Monique. “By signing up to do it I am signing up to a physical challenge that I must be prepared for and that will push me, but it’s also a fundraising challenge that takes a lot of thought and organisation and involves my family and friends.”

Going for gold

Monique has her sights set on raising A$5,000 for the cause, a goal she believes her new outlook on life since beating breast cancer will help her achieve.

“I am more likely to say ‘Yes’ to new things now, to embrace life more, to be more open to change. A terrific, new part of my life is my little girl who was just turning one when I was diagnosed. Life is different because of her being here also.”

Like a glove

Cycle For Girls was a natural fit for Monique, a long-time sponsor of children Plan works with, as it focuses on giving girls, who are more likely to miss out on education than boys, the opportunities they need to reach their full potential.

“It's great to see the Because I am a Girl campaign come about and feel that it is a strong campaign that will promote change for the better,” she says.

The route along Vietnam’s Mekong Delta into Cambodia will see Monique and her 31 cycling buddies visit villages where Plan works directly with children and their families.

To learn more and sponsor Monique, visit www.quinty.me* or head over to inspiredadventures.com.au/cycleforgirls for an overview of Cycle For Girls and find out how you can take part.

* Plan is not responsible for the content of external sites.

1 December 2012: “After my friends knew that I had HIV, no-one came close to me,” says 19-year-old Tang*, a member of an HIV/AIDS centre in Chiang Rai supported by Plan Thailand, a child-focused development organisation that works in 14 countries across Asia.

Tang is one of 5,000,000 in Asia living with HIV. Like many, she’s had to endure the prejudice that comes with being HIV-positive. The people she's met through The HIV/AIDS centre have helped her to come to terms with her situation and get her life back on track.

“I don’t feel that my life is missing anything [now]. I can learn from others and exchange experiences in a constructive way,” she adds.

Today, on World AIDS Day, it’s never been more important to tackle the kind of social stigma that Jane has faced, says Matana Bunnag, Plan Thailand’s HIV/AIDS manager.

“We’re now 30 years into the global response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and, while great strides have been made to get the situation under control, it’s important not to become complacent as knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention is still fairly low, especially in some of Asia's poorer communities.”

The situation in Asia

While the rate of new infections in Asia has flattened out overall, the incidence of HIV infection is still increasing in countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

“An AIDS-free generation is now within reach, but funding for prevention and treatment of HIV is decreasing and we have become less proactive in the fight against HIV/AIDS, reaching a point now where we’ve almost accepted that 34 million people are living with HIV. It’s this lack of focus that fuels the stigma,” Matana says.

Work to do

For every person who starts antiretroviral treatment, two more become infected with HIV.  In the last 10 years, some Asian countries have seen a decrease in the incidence rate of HIV infection by more than 50%. Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal and Papua New Guinea are notable for their progress in the region, along with Thailand, a country that, despite its progress, remains dangerously close to an HIV-prevalence rate of 1% of the population (the criteria for a generalised HIV epidemic).

As the tide finally starts to turn in our favour, Plan is calling for a renewed focus on eliminating the stigma faced by people like Tang, and for even more energy and attention to the HIV-prevention efforts critical to achieving an AIDS-free generation.

* Tang’s real name has been changed to protect her identity.

Too many girls are missing out on an education -- and it's time to do something about it.

11 October 2012: The estimated 75,000,000 girls missing from classrooms across the globe is a major violation of rights and a huge waste of young potential. As the world marks the inaugural International Day of the Girl Child today, Plan is calling on nations to urgently prioritise quality education for girls as an essential factor in tackling global poverty.

Plan launches its Because I am Girl campaign today to directly help 4,000,000 girls living in poverty worldwide including countless adolescent girls who are pushed out from school and denied their right to education by child marriage, violence, discrimination and poverty. The campaign, which will run until 2016, aims to reach millions more through changes in legislation and policy.

Much work left to do

The organisation says while some progress has been made in increasing the number of girls enrolled in primary school, its Learning For Life report released today finds many are still dropping out before reaching secondary level and the quality of education that children are receiving remains poor in many countries.

“It is indefensible that globally so many girls are still denied the right to education,” said Plan International CEO Nigel Chapman, “This absence from school is not only unjust but is an enormous waste of potential which has a tragic and long-lasting impact upon the lives of so many girls and should no longer be tolerated. It is also bad economics.”

“Our work has shown that supporting girls’ education is one of the single best investments we can make to help them escape the cycle of poverty.

Putting education first

Plan’s campaign follows and supports United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s “Education First” initiative. Plan has welcomed the Secretary General’s initiative and has called on global leaders to prioritise girls’ education. As part of this campaign, the organisation is recommending a minimum of 9 years schooling for girls and boys – which ensures a better transition to the critical stage of secondary education.

Plan led the call for an International Day of Girl, supported by the Canadian Government and others.

The Because I Am A Girl launch will see various worldwide events across the 68 countries in which it operates from the pink illumination of the Empire State Building in New York and the London Eye to celebrations all around Asia and the rest of the world.

More than 400 villagers have been evacuated.

19 September 2012: Flash flooding has triggered landslides in northern India leaving 33 dead and 35 missing.

Heavy monsoon rains swamped Uttarakhand state, in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Dozens of homes were flattened across 8 villages in the early hours of the morning, killing people in their sleep.

"Houses were buried in the debris of mud and rocks and many lives of both people and livestock were lost as a consequence," said Plan’s emergency response manager in India Murali Kunduru.

"According to local residents, there are 36 people still buried in the debris whose bodies haven’t been recovered."

Sent to assess

A 6-strong team of aid workers has been deployed by Plan to assess the needs of survivors in the worst hit areas.

Some 4 roads connecting villages were washed away, hampering efforts to get food and other supplies to families.

More than 400 villagers have been evacuated and are being temporarily housed in a college.

Among those fleeing their homes are pregnant women, disabled, elderly and orphans.

"People are being forced to drink unsafe water, which could lead to a health crisis in the affected area,” added Kunduru.

Much of the water has receded, but what's left behind is a muddy mess.

17 September 2012: Child-centred development organisation Plan Myanmar is distributing relief kits to 3,375 people in four flood-affected villages of Kyaung Gone Township in the Ayeyarwady Delta state.

Monsoon flooding in August affected 70,000 people along the Ayeyarwady Delta, forcing 467 schools to close. An assessment conducted by Plan Myanmar and local partner Swanyee Development Foundation identified a need for non-food items among families who had been unable to evacuate from the villages of Pauk Ngu, Doe Tan, Tet Seik, Laye Kwellaher.

Essential items

Plan’s relief kits comprise hygiene items, mosquito nets, blankets, and clothes and sandals for children. Although the flood water has now receded in affected areas, muddy conditions are slowing down all community activities and access remains difficult as villages can only be reached by river.

Relief kits reached Kyaung Gone Township 13 September with distribution to 110 households on the first day.

“Although all communities received food rations following the initial floods, a large number of people who were unable to leave their homes lost basic belongings,” said John McDonough, Plan Myanmar’s country director.

“Our partnership with Swanyee Development Foundation has successfully allowed us to target those families and ensure that the specific needs of children are considered too.”

Access still difficult

Kyaw Myo Min, Plan Myanmar’s disaster risk reduction manager, was part of the team that delivered the relief kits.

“Access is still difficult along the river banks, but we have received great support from the community to make sure we can get the items to the distribution point on schedule,” he said.

This is Plan Myanmar’s first emergency response since it signed a memorandum-of-understanding with the Department of Social Welfare in July. Plan Myanmar is currently implementing a disaster risk reduction project as a member of the European Commission’s disaster preparedness consortium in Pyapon and Pathein Townships in the Ayeyarwady Delta.

Life in an urban environment poses many risks.

7 September 2012: Global child rights organisation Plan International, Women in Cities International* (WICI) and UN-Habitat* this week launched the Because I am a Girl (BIAAG) Urban Programme to build safe, accountable, and inclusive cities with and for girls.

The 3 global development agencies jointly unveiled the programme on 2 September at the 6th World Urban Forum in Naples, Italy.

The BIAAG Urban Programme will be carried out in 5 cities around the world: Delhi, Hanoi, Cairo, Kampala, and Lima. The programme aims to increase girls’ safety within public spaces; enable girls’ autonomous mobility in the city; and strengthen girls’ access to quality city services.

Meaningful participation

In all aspects, the BIAAG Urban Programme will promote the active and meaningful participation of adolescent girls in urban development and governance.

“This is an endeavor to engage girls in 5 cities around the world in making their cities gender inclusive and safe,” said Tanushree Soni, regional gender programme specialist for Plan Asia.

Currently there are more people living in cities than in rural areas. Each month, 5,000,000 people are added to the cities of the developing world, and it is estimated that by 2030, approximately 1.5 billion girls will live in urban areas.

The good, the bad, the ugly

As more people relocate to live in cities, urban adolescent girls contend with the duality of increased risks and increased opportunities within urban spaces.

On the 1 hand girls are more likely to be educated, less likely to be married at an early age, and more likely to participate in decision-making. On the other hand, they face sexual harassment, exploitation, and insecurity as they navigate the urban environment.

The BIAAG Urban Programme has been developed in a participatory manner and has consistently been validated by adolescent girls along the way.

In 2012, all 5 cities will conduct baseline research using innovative and participatory tools developed specially for the BIAAG Urban Programme. In 2013, the BIAAG Urban Programme will be implemented through strategic partnerships with local partners to make cities safer for girls, including city governments, civil society organisations and adolescent girls themselves.

“Strategic and targeted investments are required to make urban conditions more responsive to the unique needs and priorities of adolescent girls,” said Plan’s Global Gender Advisor Sarah Hendriks.

* Plan is not responsible for the content of external sites.

It can be hard for young people to find work in Thailand and Indonesia.

7 September 2012: Accenture* (NYSE:ACN) and the Accenture Foundations have awarded Plan International an additional grant of US$3.65 million to train over 7,000 young people in Thailand and Indonesia for employment.

This grant -- to be distributed over a 3-year period -- brings Accenture’s direct support to Plan to more than $5.5 million since 2011. The grant will help Plan to strengthen its efforts to provide underprivileged young people with vocational and entrepreneurship training as well as the job placement support necessary to find employment.

Looking for success

Accenture’s grant is part of its global corporate citizenship initiative, Skills to Succeed, which aims to equip 250,000 people for work around the world by 2015.

“Supporting Plan International helps bring to life Accenture’s commitment to building skills,” said Adrian Lajtha, chief leadership officer at Accenture.

“We share Plan’s commitment to making a lasting impact on the economic wellbeing of individuals and their communities by connecting young people with programmes and skills that will enable them to be successful.”

Skills training and employability programmes for young people will target industries such as information technology, customer relations and business process outsourcing where local demand for jobs is high.

“Despite the rapidly growing economies of both Thailand and Indonesia, many young people continue to enter the job market lacking relevant skills and experience,” said Nigel Chapman, CEO of Plan International.

“Accenture and Plan are working together to help ensure that young people have the skills and support to actively participate and share in the benefits of these growing nations.”

Bridging the gap

The 2-year scheme will bridge the gap between job supply and demand by matching disadvantaged young people with local opportunities through networks of employers.

More than 3,500 disadvantaged young people in India and Vietnam are already receiving training for employment under the ongoing partnership.

Residents were unable to sleep after returning to their homes. (Map from Department of National Defense)

1 September 2012: It was very dark, electricity was shut off and communications signals were down, reports Philip Ariane Oledan, Community Development Facilitator for Plan Philippines.

A 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit the Pacific villages of Salcedo, Eastern Samar, in the Philippines at around 8.50 pm last night, triggering a series of 3 0.80-meter high waves just minutes after the tremor was felt. A tsunami warning was announced and later lifted.

Local authorities called for residents to head to higher ground and designated an evacuation area immediately after the quake.

Panic

The warning created panic among residents who began running for higher ground. Children were crying and elders complained of back pain after climbing up the hilly grounds. Other residents stayed in a school campus ready for evacuation.

Community volunteers were on red alert monitoring changes in ocean behaviour that might lead to a tsunami.

The absence of any update from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction for almost 30 minutes worried many people.

“We feel isolated. There is no celphone signal to contact our relatives,” said Aurora Corre, a community volunteer.

Returning home

After 1 am, as the tsunami alert was lifted by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, residents began leaving the evacuation area to return home with their children.

There was slight damage to some buildings in Burak, but injuries or fatalities were reported. Plan-sponsored children and families in the area were all are safe.

Though there appeared to be no significant physical damage, most people in the community were unable to sleep well for fear of aftershocks.

The quake struck about 100 km off the east coast of the Philippines. (USGS screengrab)

31 August 2012: Humanitarian organisation Plan International’s emergency response teams are on standby for immediate deployment in the Philippines after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck about 100 kilometres off the country’s east coast late Friday night.

The quake also triggered a tsunami warning in several countries in the region. It was subsequently lifted. Meanwhile small waves measuring about 16 cms reportedly hit the Philippine coast. Many residents along the east coast of the Philippines were evacuated to higher ground.

Marivic Singco, Plan Philippines finance manager, was in Tacloban city in Eastern Visayas along with 2 other staff when the quake struck.

“We were having dinner in a restaurant on the ground floor of our hotel when all of a sudden the tables started shaking,” she said.

“Each of us took cover under a table. Although the quake lasted for about half a minute, it felt so long. It was very strong and getting stronger. Tables were shaking violently. Other customers started to run for the door, but we stayed where we were until it stopped,” she added.

Plan's communication officer for Philippines, Mardy Halcon, who is in the country’s Sorsogon province, saw buildings and houses swaying. “People in the city went out of their houses for fear of aftershocks,” she said. After the earthquake, power went out and the entire city was plunged into darkness, she added.

Areas where the quake was felt included Eastern Samar and Southern Leyte, where Plan has programme units.

“Plan's emergency response team is ready to travel to affected areas to respond to the needs of children and their families. Relief goods including water purification kits and jerry cans are ready for immediate distribution, if required,” said Carin van der Hor, Plan’s Country Director in the Philippines.

“Since children are most vulnerable in disaster situations, our efforts will be focused on children.”

The Philippines is prone to large earthquakes and tsunami, located in the Pacific “ring of fire”, an area of major seismic activity.

14-year-old Ye's home was badly damaged by the flooding.

17 July 2012: Plan China has launched its response after seasonal monsoon rains caused landslides and floods in Shaanxi Province, central China. More than 300,000 people in 11 counties have been affected by the disaster.

After an initial assessment by Plan’s emergency response team along with government partners, Plan decided to invest about US$130,000 in relief efforts in Shaanxi.

Plan will reach more than 3,000 children by repairing 4 schools in Xixiang County and fixing a bridge and setting up a Child Centred Development Network to coordinate efforts in Hanyin County. Plan will also provide school materials, meals and bedding for affected students. In Nan Zheng County 1,000 children's relief kits have been distributed, containing items warm like clothes, bed sheets, soap and shoes.

School books washed away

“My books have been washed away,” said 14-year old Ye, whose house collapsed. “I cannot fall asleep and am afraid of the flood happening again.”

In early-July, rainstorms, floods and landslides hit Shaanxi, forcing people from their homes and damaging crops, schools, roads and communications networks. Thousands of children are now unable to go to school and safely continue their education.

“The rainstorm lasted more than 4 hours on the early morning of 4 July,” recalled Yang Pu, headmaster of Tai Ping Primary School, Chengguan Township, Hanyin.

“On that morning, the water level in the school reached more than 50 centimetres deep and school equipment on the first floor was all underwater,” he added.

The rain cometh

In Sangyuan Township, Xixiang, more than 900 students were in class when the rains came and caused flooding up to 80 centimetres deep within minutes. Luckily, teachers and villagers worked together to get the children to safety, reported a local television station.

“Lots of roads, bridges and riverbanks were damaged," said Ms Zhang Hongyu, chairperson of the Hanyin County Women’s Federation. Among the infrastructure casualties was the pedestrian bridge in Wuyi Village, Hanyin, which is used by more than 11,000 people every day, including 1,200 children going to and from school.

The washed-away bridge, now a major headache for everyone in the area, will be repaired by Plan and local partners.

If the bridge cannot be repaired by the time the new semester starts in September, students will have to walk at least an hour longer to get to class.