Child participation
Children painting at a youth group in São Luís, Brazil
Children have the right to take part in decisions that affect their lives, but all too often their involvement is limited or non-existent.
Attempts by adults to solve children’s problems are unlikely to succeed without taking into account the first-hand experience of young people.
Plan’s child centred community Development approach helps millions of children learn about their rights and take an active role in community development. We work with children, their families and communities to identify problems and implement solutions.
From helping children to speak out on domestic violence to supporting youth delegates at international AIDS conferences, Plan helps children engage in citizenship, express their views and influence decision-makers.
Vulnerable children
To ensure the participation of all children, we also deliver targeted programs that reach the most marginalized and vulnerable groups.
In Egypt, for example, our awareness-raising program involving children with disabilities in Cairo has had a dramatic impact on their lives. Stigma associated with disability has slowly vanished from the community and parents no longer lock up their disabled children or abandon them in the streets. Now children with and without disabilities are allowed to interact with each other.
Case studies
When a taxi driver in the Dominican Republic asked Canadian Heather Borquez to keep quiet so he could hear the latest instalment from this new teenage investigative reporter on his radio – she knew she had a hit on her hands.
Music has always been central to East Timor’s culture and today, music is also being used for community development as young people compose their own songs to inspire and influence change for their nation