Children are at the centre of Plan's response.

6 January 2011: Plan is supporting the basic needs of thousands of people affected by Typhoon Sendong (Washi) in the Mindanao Island of the Philippines.

The severe flooding and devastation caused by the tropical storm on 16 December last year left more than 1,200 dead and affected nearly 118,000 families. Over 80,000 families who evacuated following floods are still homeless.

Plan is responding to the needs of families in the worst-affected parts of Iligan, Cagayan de Oro and Negros Oriental. We are aiming to reach nearly 150,000 affected people and have started distributing relief items including 10,000 hygiene kits, 10,000 water-purification kits, 15,000 mosquito nets and 20,000 traditional blankets.

“The need is overwhelming. We are working with local government, UN and other humanitarian actors to reach out to the most vulnerable groups," said Carin van der Hor, Plan’s country director in the Philippines

Supporting those in need

Children continue to remain the main focus of Plan’s aid response. We have distributed and set up tents in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro for use as shelters and temporary learning spaces for children. These tents were provided as in-kind support from Irish Aid’s emergency stock warehouse in Malaysia and supplemented by funds from the Irish government’s emergency response funding scheme.

So far Plan has conducted 8 sessions with 537 children and 87 adults in Cagayan de Oro to address their emotional needs.

“Children living in displaced settings and separated from families are extremely vulnerable. Their health, protection, emotional care and education should be the main priority," said Dr Unni Krishnan, Plan’s disaster response policy coordinator.

Plan has been working in the Philippines since 1961 and runs a project along with Unicef supporting children formerly associated with armed groups in parts of Mindanao. Even though Plan’s programme areas in Mindanao escaped the typhoon, we are responding to the overwhelming needs of thousands affected by the flood.

Plan is appealing to raise $1.5m towards its initial response. We have so far mobilised nearly $1m in confirmed and under-negotiation grants.

Find out more about Plan Philippines here.

Many families spent Christmas in makeshift shelters.

28 December 2011: Donated items worth $265,000 sent by Irish Aid through Plan have arrived at their destination in Mindanao, Philippines, where tens of thousands of families have been displaced by flooding. 

The donation includes 400 tents, 15,000 blankets and 15,000 bars of soap that will augment Plan’s first wave of support to Mindanao, which included 10 000 hygiene kits, 10 000 hyposols (for purifying water) and 2,000 water containers worth $75,000. 

As the number of fatalities increases to about 1,500 people with more than 1,000 others missing, survivors of Tropical Storm Sendong (international name: Washi) in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan face many uncertainties. 

Uprooted

More than 70,000 families have been displaced by the storm, of which 62,000 families live outside evacuation centers. Shelter has become a growing problem as evacuees need to transfer to tent cities before schools open on 3 January. 

A potential relocation site for families has been identified in Cagayan de Oro, but residents can’t move in yet as the local government says there is still a lot of work to do there. Iligan, meanwhile, no relocation site as of yet. This means survivors have to stay in tent cities until a permanent shelter can be found.

“We know that in times like these, people need to have a semblance of normalcy in their life. Having a place to stay in which their privacy is protected and respected lessens their stress. This is especially true for mothers and their children,” said Carin van der Hor, Plan’s country director in the Philippines. 

“Bringing children back in a safe and secure environment amongst their peers is of utmost important in emergency situations. This is why Plan International is lobbying for a greater investment in the education sector after disasters,” she added.

More than 100,000 people have been affected.

19 December, 2011: Plan International is responding to the needs of thousands of people affected by severe flooding after Typhoon Sendong (international name Washi) wreaked havoc in Mindanao, the Philippines, last Friday.

The Southern island of Mindanao, which is usually spared the worst of the Philippines' annual storms, is home to various tribes of indigenous peoples. 

Plan will send 10,000 hygiene kits, 10,000 hyposols (water-purification kits) and 2,000 water containers as a first wave of response to communities in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro, two of the worst hit areas. Plan will also do an assessment in Negros Oriental, which has been declared under a "state of calamity".

"The hygiene kits and hyposols will be given to around 8,500 families in evacuation centres. The water containers will augment those that have been distributed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development,” said Carin van der Hor, Plan’s country director in the Philippines.

“We will be going around to see how we can help the most marginalized in this situation: the children, the women and the indigenous peoples.” 

Children in need

Plan will provide psycho-social support to children who have been affected by the disaster.

“The magnitude of impact on the psycho-social wellbeing of children -- especially those who have lost their families -- is so huge that this organization feels this is something we will need to respond to soon,” added van der Hor.

Plan, which runs a child-soldier-registration project in Mindanao, has been working in the Philippines since 1961. It has extensive experience working with children and communities in the wake of disasters.

Find out more about Plan's work in the Philippines or visit the Plan Philippines media centre for further contacts.

Plan Thailand's country director is excited about using this new technology.

7 December 2011: Plan’s staff in Thailand had been looking for an innovative alternative to the time and effort it takes to collect and digitise community information from around the nation. As in many countries, the usual process is to scribble things down using pens and paper and then type up the notes onto a computer later on.

Oftentimes the paper ends up all dirty and scruffed up, or else lost altogether, never to be found again, leading to a little guesswork and a lot of retyping. It’s a long, tedious process for staff and volunteers and it makes reliable monitoring of programmes difficult.

First the science...

After a lot of anguish and hair pulling, in stepped colleagues from Plan Kenya with a solution. They’d been working with Plan Finland and a Finnish partner, Pajat, on making use of POIMapper*, a nifty mobile mapping tool can be loaded onto any cellphone with GPS. The technology uses the phone’s mobile network to upload information collected by staff straight to a database where it can be accessed in just a few minutes. In open spaces, the software will also record geographical coordinates using the phone’s GPS, essential for pinpointing communities on a map.

...then the simple

But what does all that actually mean in practical terms? Well, Plan Thailand used the technology during visits to migrant workers affected by tuberculosis (TB) to collect real-time information on their location, health and access to treatment. Accessible by both the programme unit and country office, the data quickly showed where most TB patients were located and also patient information such as gender and age, allowing health services to be targeted and an effective response put into action.

This type of mobile technology, of which POIMapper is but one fine example, makes data collection more efficient and cost-effective and also allows staff to collect media such as photos, videos and sound recordings.

As Maja Cubarrubia, Plan Thailand’s country directors, says, “We’ve created a lot of excitement here, and once staff get the hang of it, they’ll think this is something we should all be doing!”

For a more in depth look at Plan Thailand’s use of POIMapper, check out this video presentation by Maja Cubarrubia*.

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

Children in Chiang Rai enjoying the festivities.

2 December 2011: The theme for this year’s World AIDS Day* on 1 December was “Getting to Zero”, which means zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, Zero AIDS-related deaths. Plan Thailand promotes HIV and AIDS prevention programmes for young people by supporting sex education curricula activities and strengthening youth groups so that they can be peer educators in their communities.

We also develop livelihood programmes for people living with HIV and help them obtain better access to health services. Here are some of the activities Plan Thailand got up to on World AIDS Day this year.

Bangkok

Plan Thailand joined the Thai NGO Coalition on AIDS (TNCA) to campaign on World AIDS Day in Sathorn Thani. Standard Chartered Thailand also joined the campaign as part of their corporate social responsibility programme. Activities included games, HIV/AIDS education sessions, condom distribution and the raising of funds for people living with HIV affected by the recent floods.   

Chiang Rai

Plan Thailand teamed up with Mae Chan hospital in the morning to campaign on World AIDS day to 1,200 students at Suksasongkroh School in Mae Chan district. HIV/AIDS and TB staff in Chiang Rai worked together for the campaign, conducting various activities to promote prevention of HIV/AIDS and other opportunistic infectious diseases, such as TB.  

In the afternoon all Plan Thailand staff joined the Chiang Rai Provincial Public Health Office to campaign at the Central Department Store. The campaign included activities promoting HIV/AIDS prevention and disclosure, as well as condom distribution.  

Srisaket

In Srisaket Plan Thailand staff kicked off a series of campaign dates around the province on 15 November in collaboration with the Educational Services Area Office. The campaign tour will go on until 8 December, reaching out to the general public with such activities as condom distribution, lessons on HIV/AIDS prevention and the provision of HIV/AIDS brochures. 

Find out more about Plan’s work in Thailand.

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

A girl affected by HIV draws a picture as part of an art therapy programme in Thailand.

1 December 2011: Today, December 1, is World AIDS Day 2011*. The theme for this year's event is "Getting to Zero", which means continuing efforts to get to zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths across Asia and the rest of the world. The Getting to Zero campaign will last until 2015 and while the ultimate outcome may be aspirational, there are a number of concrete targets to be reached in the next four years.

Although the HIV prevalence rate in Asia is low compared with sub-Saharan Africa, the populations in some countries are so large that the numbers of people living with HIV is substantial. UNAIDS* estimates that in 2009, 4,900,000 adults and children in Asia were living with HIV. UNICEF estimates that around 580,000 young people aged 15–24 in the East Asia and Pacific region live with HIV.

Although the number of children younger than 15 living with HIV increased marginally from 140,000 in 2005 to 160,000 in 2009, young people are increasingly at risk of infection. HIV prevalence is on the rise in Bangladesh, Pakistan (where drug injecting is the main mode of HIV transmission) and the Philippines.

Vulnerability to HIV in Asia tends to be associated with socio-economic conditions, including genderbased inequalities, no access to education, rural-to-urban migration, early marriage, early childbearing, living and working on the street, selling and exchanging sex and other risky income-earning strategies.

Fear of the disease continues to elicit widespread stigmatising of people living with and affected by HIV or AIDS. It still provokes discrimination, especially in denying access to basic services, such as healthcare and education. The continuing human rights violations also impede effective responses to the spread of the virus.

Our goal

Our aim is to fulfill the rights of children in relation to HIV prevention, treatment and care and to protect their rights in the context of AIDS-impacted families and communities.

Our strategy

Plan’s advocacy work promotes a rights-based approach to HIV prevention, treatment and care. We work to strengthen and expand each country’s institutional capacity and each community’s competence in responding to their HIV situation. Additionally, we focus on increasing the participation of children and young people in HIV services and programming when it is in their best interest.

Our strengths

We have continually renewing partnerships with The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development and the Asian Development Bank. Plan also has considerable competence in piloting innovative programmes within communities and reaching marginalised and vulnerable groups.

Read about our achievements and future plans for tackling HIV/AIDS in Asia.

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

Children's health and education is suffering during this crisis time.

18 November 2011: More than 75 children have so far died in the flood disaster in Thailand, while tens of thousands of children have been displaced -- often resulting in long, crowded stays in evacuation centers. In addition to children not being able to return to school, some 3,288 educational institutions have been damaged.

These were some of the issues highlighted in a joint statement delivered to the Office of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra by a number of Thai NGOs and INGOs on 14 November.

While commending the government for its extensive relief efforts so far, the signatories -- Plan International Thailand, World Vision Foundation of Thailand, Right to Play Thailand Foundation and ZOA Refugee Care -- highlighted health, education and child protection as key priority areas that should continue to be integrated into emergency relief and recovery activities. 

More can be done

Most of the 500+ deaths so far were from drowning or electrocution, with the threat of water-borne diseases increasingly becoming a concern as contaminated floodwater begins subsiding. 

In addition to the Health ministry’s own responsibilities in supporting those in medical need and restoring the damage done by the floods, the aid agencies encourage the government to identify and reach out to pregnant mothers, mothers with infants or young children, orphaned or vulnerable children, children with physical disabilities or special needs, and children needing treatment for chronic conditions.

Health and education

The statement highlights the need for quality health services for both Thai and non-Thai children. Some of the issues raised in the statement include the provision of women- and infant-friendly spaces to promote breast-feeding, advice and supplies to improve infant and young child feeding practices, and educating parents about the importance of the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.

The group of organisations also calls attention to the current void in education and in child protection, urging the government to £provide educational activities and temporary education supplies for children in flood-affected areas, and to support psychology and stress management professionals to assist these children." 

Plan Thailand has distributed 1,000 relief kits targeting the needs of affected children and mothers in Bang Pa-in District in Ayutthaya and is in the process of distributing 1,000 family relief kits for 5,000 beneficiaries at evacuation centres in Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Bangkok.  

Plan Thailand works with Childline Thailand Foundation and Kluaynamthai Hospital on Child Friendly Spaces and is setting up baby stations to promote breastfeeding and safe infant feeding at 4 evacuation centres in Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Bangkok for at least 200 children and infants.

More than 50,000 people fled their homes when flash floods hit.

11 November 2011: The provincial government of West Sumatera has declared the recent flash flooding that hit the south coast a "provincial disaster" while Plan Indonesia today begins an initial assessment of the situation.

Flash flooding hit 8 subdistricts in South Pesisir, West Sumatera, on 2 November, killing 8 people and damaging more than 13,000 homes, while 4 schools were leveled and 95 slightly damaged, leaving 18,000 children without access to schools. Of 52,123 people who were forced to flee their homes, some 5,000 people remain displaced.

"There are some affected people who are starting to be infected with illnesses such as acute respiratory infection, head problems, influenza, cough as well as other water-borne diseases. Heath centers at sub-district level run by local government are currently full of patients," said Ade Edwar, head of the Data Management Center of the Provincial Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of West Sumatera.

"The focus of BPBD at this time is to verify the data of losses due to the disaster to guarantee the emergency response and early-recovery phase can be addressed well by the government," he added.

The response

BPBD is taking the lead in the overall response at the field level and the government began the first phase of the emergency response, set to last 14 days, on 4 November.

At the moment there is a lack of clear information about the status of children and other vulnerable groups affected by the disaster.

The main needs of people are food, hygiene kits, access to clean drinking water and blankets, according to  the National Board for Disaster Management and the Mercy Corps.

BPBD, the Mercy Corps and Ready (a local NGO) have said there are still many people affected by the flooding who haven’t received humanitarian aid because they are in isolated areas.

Plan Indonesia’s Disaster Risk Management unit is in contact with the provincial government, as well as local and international organisations, to monitor and update the current situation. 

Read more about Plan's work in Indonesia.

Plan has been working in Sri Lanka for 30 years.

28 October 2011: Plan celebrated 30 years of working with children, families and communities in Sri Lanka at a national ceremony held in Colombo on 28 October. 

The Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Affairs honoured Plan Sri Lanka with a plaque presented to Country Director Ned Espey.

"My promise to you today is that we will continue giving the very best we have to ensure that children in Sri Lanka and around the world grow while participating in a life that is preparing them for the future,” said Mr Espey. 

A theme song for Plan Sri Lanka, composed and sung by children was launched at the event by Sanjana Bandara, a member of a media group and the composer of the song.

A busy night

The ceremony also marked the launch of Plan Sri Lanka's 3rd country strategic plan (CSP) for 2012-2016. Key directions from the CSP were shared and another Plan publication, 30 Years of Working in Sri Lanka, was also launched.

Another memorable highlight was the launch of Plan’s Because I Am a Girl 2011 report by the campaign's global communications coordinator, Warisara Sornpet, who presented the key directions of the campaign along with findings and recommendations.

The Story So Far, a Plan documentary capturing the best of the 30 years, was also screened in public for the first time.

Stakeholders who have worked hand in hand with Plan Sri Lanka over the years were all present at the event, which ended with the keynote address by Mohan Peiris, senior legal advisor to the Cabinet of Ministers. His presentation was on child rights in the context of globalization and development and how it relates to Sri Lanka.

Child-friendly spaces are important during times of crisis.

4 November 2011: Thailand is facing its worst flooding in 5 decades due to heavy monsoon rains throughout September. Some 26 provinces remain inundated affecting more than 2,450,000 people including 800,000 children and 800,000 elderly.

The number of flood-related casualties has risen sharply in the last week to 437. In Bangkok, the situation is reportedly worsening as the floodwater from the north continues to flood more urban areas. Run-off from the northern outskirts continues to flow towards the inner part of the city after a sluice gate and dyke failed. In the western outskirts of the city two districts are under a metre of water. 

The response

Plan Thailand has launched a 3-month relief programme focused on distributing non-food items for children, establishing breastfeeding station and setting up child friendly spaces with a budget of $335,953. 

Since the start of the response on 13 October Plan Thailand has distributed 1,149 relief kits specifically targeted to the needs of affected children and mothers in Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Bangkok.

Plan Thailand is now in the process of distributing another 1,000 family relief kits for a total of 5,000 beneficiaries at evacuation centres located in severely affected and hard-to-reach areas of Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, and Bangkok as well as major government evacuation centres in Chonburi and Bangkok. 

Working together

Plan Thailand in partnership with Childline Thailand Foundation has set up child-friendly spaces at 4 evacuation centres in Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Bangkok for about 300 children. Plan Thailand has also partnered with Kluaynamthai Hospital to promote breastfeeding and safe infant feeding practices at newly established “baby corners” at these evacuation centres.

The response has been organized in record and under extremely difficult circumstances. Most of the target areas continue to be inundated by water up to 2 metres deep and can only be accessed by large trucks or small boats.

For the next phase, Plan Thailand is planning to launch a recovery program over the next 3-6 months focusing on the education sector and recovery support for the most marginalized groups.

Read more about Plan's response to the Thailand floods.

Plan is working hard to reach flood-affected children and their families.

27 October 2011: Plan has distributed hygiene kits, dry-food rations, shelter kits and mosquito nets to some 30,000 people whose lives have been impacted by the devastating flooding in Cambodia.

Monsoon rains have caused extensive flooding across 18 of Cambodia’s 24 provinces. In Siem Reap, one of Plan Cambodia’s programming areas, all 12 districts have been affected, including 10,000 families with 21,500 children. At least 33 kilometres of roads, 62 schools, 12,000 water wells, 19,111 hectares of rice paddy and 1,616 hectares of other agricultural products are now flooded in the province. 

On the ground

Plan Cambodia is coordinating with the Provincial, District and Commune Committees for Disaster Management to ensure timely distribution to families in some of the areas that are hardest to reach because of high water levels.

Assessments conducted by field staff indicate that flood levels have stopped rising in most areas  and that in some parts of Kampong Cham the flood waters are receding, allowing for families to return to their homes.

Plan Cambodia will now begin its recovery phase programming prioritising education in these areas to ensure that families -- and especially children and youths -- are able to return to their normal lives.

“Some of the schools that Plan Cambodia has been able to visit are severely affected by the floods. We have seen significant structural damage, classroom materials destroyed, water supplies disrupted -- and they all require huge clean-up efforts,” said Supriyanto, Plan Cambodia’s country director. 

“Koh Chin Krom Primary School in Koh Sotin district of Kampong Chom is still flooded and the 455 primary-level students will not be able to attend classes for at least another month. It is essential that we minimise disruption to the education of children such as the pupils at Koh Chin Krom and help establish their normal routines as soon as possible,” he added.

Damage done

Locals say this is the worst flooding they have seen for 20 years. Nationwide the flooding has damaged at least 590,000 hectares of agricultural land, as well as 2,500 kilometres of roads and 2,000 kilometres of irrigation facilities.

This year’s celebration of Cambodia’s Water Festival in November has been cancelled due to the crisis.

At least 247 people have died so far, while more than 200 children have died in flooding across Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Plan is working to support flood-affected families across the region.

Plan Cambodia's Supriyanto with Deputy PM Men Sam On.

26 October 2011: Plan Cambodia was this week honoured with a medal from the government for its valued contribution to the protection of the rights of children, who make up more than 40 percent of the country’s population. 

The medal was presented to Supriyanto, Plan Cambodia’s country director, by Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam On in capital Phnom Penh on 25 October during the national launch of a report on the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“The government has done a lot in its efforts to protect children and promote and implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, the challenges remain big. I am glad that Plan Cambodia is well recognized for its work on children's rights,” said Mr Supriyanto.

Reaching out

Plan works independently and through partners to teach 10,000 children and youths in 11 provinces about how to take part in decision-making to liberate their families and communities from abuse.

One of Plan’s partner organizations, Krousar Yoeung (“Our Family”, in English) has also received a medal for its hard work, this time from the government of France through the French Embassy in Cambodia.

“The medal I received is to a certain extent owed to Krousar Yoeung’s cooperation with Plan since 2006 to provide start-up education to children and to provide survival means to parents, especially those in very poor communities,” said Ky Samphy, Krousar Yoeung director.

Plan has worked in Cambodia since 2002, reaching more than 500,000 children in 38 communities.

One programme in Cambodia sees Plan team up with the government to ensure all citizens have registered birth certificates, which has contributed to the number of registered citizens increasing from 5% to 92%. 

Find out more about what Plan does in Cambodia.

Plan Thailand's Caroline Borchard makes a friend.

25 October: Plan Thailand travelled by boat, truck and fire engine to deliver 900 relief kits to flood-affected families in Bangpa-in district, Ayuttaya province, on 22 October. 

“Our journey today is going to be rough because the water level is going to be about 1 metre and we have the trucks to transport these relief kits to the area,” said Sunan Samrianrum, Plan Thailand’s acting country director, before the trip.

Spirits were high among the 20 or so staff and volunteers as the 60-kilometre journey began. Yet while the roads around central Bangkok were bone dry, it wasn’t long before the trucks were sloshing through water. In Rangsit, just north of Bangkok, the roads were badly flooded and scores of cars had been abandoned.

On the road

As the trucks pushed through Pathum Thani province to Ayutthaya, the extent of the flooding became increasingly visible. Roads had turned into glistening rivers; streets were like canals. Some locals waded waist-deep through stagnant water while others had been resourceful with their engineering, fashioning boats out of old oil drums or huge tyre inner tubes.

Longtail boats were a common sight and there were even a couple of jet-skis zipping up the roads, but what was most striking was the sheer volume of water in all directions that was showing no signs of moving anywhere.

For Plan Thailand though the day was all about delivering much-needed relief supplies to children and their families as part of Plan’s commitment to spend $150,000 to support those who have been affected by the floods. Items being delivered included diapers, baby food, toys and books.

But it nearly wasn’t to be as the truck containing Plan’s team coughed and spluttered until it could go no farther up the road/waterway, at which point about half of those on board had to hop into a boat to lighten the load. Despite bumping into lampposts and bushes on the way, everyone in the boat made it to dry ground to be reunited with the supply truck for the onward journey to the distribution point.

Express delivery

On a scorching afternoon families queued to receive coupons to be exchanged for relief kits. Governor of Ayutthaya Witthaya Phewphong was on hand to meet everyone and slowly but surely, the relief kits made it to members of the community.

Besides the main handout zone, Plan made a few stops around the area to people who had difficulty leaving their homes. Local government assisted with the drop-offs, even arranging for a fire truck to transport four of the team to a small commune where new friends were instantly made.

As the afternoon wore on the bulk of the relief kits were handed out, with only a few left over to be distributed by local authorities. 

Thailand’s worst floods for decades have affected 2,400,000 people, 700,000 of them children. Floods have impacted the lives of millions across Asia this year, including in Cambodia and Pakistan. 

Getting communities involved helps strengthen education.

21 October 2011: Three Plan-supported schools employing community-participation initiatives in Hatibandha sub-district, Lalmonirhat, have scooped government awards for excellence in primary education. The Ramoniganj Government Primary School and Baradanga Registered Primary School were honoured for having top head teachers while the Uttar Gotamari Government Primary School was chosen as the best school in the sub-district this year. 

“I try to perform in creative and exceptional activities to ensure there is a joyful environment for the children. Community participation has introduced innovative ideas in the classroom. We collect relevant and attractive materials from different sources which help to accelerate learners learning,” said Salekur Rahman, head teacher of Ramoniganj School.

Earlier in the year parents, children and school authorities fleshed out where education was missing the mark in the sub district. Areas of concern they identified included inadequate community participation, substandard teaching, low retention of girls in schools weak monitoring processes.

To overcome these obstacles a number of initiatives were launched, such as out-of-hours schooling to help students at risk of falling behind or dropping out. Plan’s Child Centered Community Development approach helped pave the way towards better community participation, capacity building, coordination among stakeholders and leadership among head teachers.

Plan Bangladesh supported the schools to draw up a strategy with a number of short-term, medium-term and long-term goals. 

Some of the initiatives the project saw implemented included:

• An enrollment campaign to create opportunities for out-of-school children to enroll.  
• Active child participation in school activities and the development of leadership skills. 
• A reading initiative to help children who have difficulty reading.
• An Assessment Reform Initiative to support schools to practice creative and child-centered assessment.
• Health activities to teach students about personal hygiene. 
• The Learn Without Fear campaign.
• Capacity building of teachers and school management committees.
• The establishment of a magazine to create opportunities for exploring children’s creativities.
• A science fair so children could get hands-on with their learning.
• School gardening to give the students an active role in looking after their learning environment.

“Children study in school beyond school hours. The school premises are very neat and clean and there was a lot of community participation involved to achieve this award,” said Susen Kumar, head teacher of North Gotamari School.

Babies fed with infant formula could be at risk.

19 October 2011: Babies affected by the severe flooding in Thailand and fed with infant formula face a high risk of infection and diarrhoea caused by contaminated or unsafe water used to clean milk bottles or make baby feed.

Breastfeeding mothers affected by the flooding should not switch to infant formula and mothers who have stopped breastfeeding should start again to avoid such risks, said Sunan Samrianrum, Plan Thailand acting country director .

Staying safe

“Breastfeeding is the safest feeding option for babies during an emergency as breast milk has immunity boosting substances to protect them from the risk of disease and death,” Sunan added.

“Every effort should be made to promote breastfeeding especially in emergencies to save the lives of children,” he added. 

Relief effort

Plan Thailand will spend $150,000 (4.5 million baht) on emergency relief supplies for at least 1,000 families with children affected by the flooding. 

Apart from relief items, Plan will set up breastfeeding stations with supervision and counseling by health professionals at flood evacuation camps. The breastfeeding stations will provide private sections for breastfeeding mothers and advice to mothers on the risks of infant feeding in emergencies, as well as instructions on safe preparation of baby food.

In cases where milk powder formula is being used, one should ensure that clean boiled water is available for preparation of the milk and cleaning of the containers. At places with limited access to clean water, bottles and teats should be replaced with cups to feed the babies as they are easier to clean and thus pose less risk of contamination.

Plan has worked with children and communities in Thailand for three decades, responding to previous crises and disasters including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.