What we do
- children’s health
- education
- hygiene standards
- household economic security
- child protection and participation.
Children’s health
Plan works to address health issues that present a risk for children in Sri Lanka. There has been a decline in the quality and coverage of primary health care services, including health care in schools. Meanwhile, children often suffer from malnutrition, iron deficiency and diarrhoea.
Plan also offers young people a prevention awareness programme about HIV and sexually transmitted diseases.
Education
We have worked in collaboration with educational authorities, children, schools, communities and partner non-governmental organisations to develop school improvement programmes in 112 schools.
We also help develop regulatory standards for home-based early childhood care and development (ECCD) and to prepare handbooks for the implementers of home-based ECCD.
Hygiene standards
We transfer knowledge to young people regarding safe water and environmental sanitation while discouraging unhygienic practices and risky behaviour.
Plan Sri Lanka also works with the government to set up water supply and sanitation projects in rural areas.
Household economic security
Nearly 60% of the population of Sri Lanka depends on agriculture for their livelihood and 19.2% of them live below the poverty line.
Plan is trying to improve the situation with 4 key intervention areas: microfinance, such as small loans and savings schemes; vocational training; rural transport and irrigation.
Child protection and participation
Only 12 of the government’s 22 District Child Protection Committees responsible for monitoring cases of child abuse are functional and of the 34 women and children's desks attached to the police department, none are fully functional. We are working to improve the situation by providing financial and technical support to the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) and the police to prevent violence against children.
Children have the right to participate in decisions that affect their lives. Plan Sri Lanka works with children and their communities to identify problems and implement solutions.
We also raise awareness on child rights by showing children how to produce their own media – such as films and journalism.
