For 75 years now Plan, the global children’s charity has been working with children in the world’s poorest communities to help them build a better future. After an extensive Plan campaign, October 11th this year is the first ever International Day of the Girl. It’s a day to spread the word that the power of investing in girls is extraordinary. It saves lives. It transforms futures. It unleashes the incredible potential of girls and their communities. Plan UK explains…
Globally, one in three girls is denied a secondary education by the daily realities of poverty, discrimination and violence. Every day, young girls are forced into marriage, isolated from their friends and subjected to abuse. Plan UK is encouraging people to ‘Raise your Hand’ and sign the petition to the UN Secretary General to make girls education a priority. As part of this activity Plan UK is teaming up with five influential bloggers to hold Life Lessons to share their expertise and knowledge that they have gained from education to set up their blog – educate with your education.
Case study is of Geeta who set up a café.
Credit 'Plan / Alf Berg'
Because of the dire economic situation of Geeta’s family, at age 12 her father entered into a kamalari contract with a local teacher. Geeta spent seven years working from sunrise until late into the evening for 700 Nepali rupees (six British pounds) a year. Geeta’s father Ganga explains that because his family is from the Tharu tribe, they are mistreated and only ever paid the absolute minimum. The family were hungry at the time of signing the contract and it seemed that the kamalari option was the only way. Now, 21 years old, Geeta is free of her kamalari contract and with the help of Plan’s kamalari abolition programme, she has started her own roadside café business. It has gone very well and in just a few months she earned 32.000 rupees (46 times her previous annual salary). The project has also enabled her to employ members of her family and friends helping lift them from poverty too.
Empowering people living suffering HIV/AIDS with life skills
There is an HIV/AIDS centre in Chiang Rai supported by Plan Thailand. The centre offers sexual education for communities, young adults and school children. Members of the centre are well equipped with information and skills on how to take care of themselves and make informed decisions. Apart from the health advice offered at the centre, Plan empowers people living with HIV/AIDS with life skill activities. By making handicraft products, members can earn a small income. See the photo below of the bags and purses they have made.
Plan’s Giant Book
Plan’s giant book is travelling the UK and school girls are being invited to write in it completing the sentence ‘Because of education I can …’ Cherry Healy kicked off in south London and the next stop is Manchester
ONE support for International Day of the Girl
How can you help?
To celebrate the UN Day Of The Girl on October 11th Plan UK are asking bloggers and intelligent women to help raise awareness of this important day. They would like to invite you to hold a Life Lesson about travelling and cultures where you would share your knowledge with the readers.
This could be a tutorial on how to travel safely, or possibly different cultures and their food tastes that readers would be able to follow and learn – or anything engaging and informative to suit the style of your blog would be perfect. Raise awareness for the charity and the Day Of The Girl tell us why you believe education is so important to girls and how it has helped you.
Find out more about Day of the Girl and how you can get involved. http://dayofthegirl.
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