Plan started its operations in India in 1979 and established partnerships with local and community based organization to implement programs across several states.
Over the years, Plan’s approach has moved from direct benefit to sponsored children to the more comprehensive child centred community development approach.
Plan’s role has evolved to that of a ‘facilitator’ from being a mere ‘provider’. Today, Plan works ‘with’ and ‘for’ children and communities rather than just working for them.
Making a positive difference
With Plan’s support, children have become active participants in the development process and along with community organisations have become more empowered. Partnerships and links with various government and non government organisations have been established in order to ensure achievement of the long term goals. Some of them are:
Significant improvements in the quality of education, especially for girls, which have resulted in a decrease in early marriages.
Increased awareness on HIV/AIDS, female foeticide, immunisation, birth registration, child survival and safe motherhood, sanitation, early childhood care and development and rights of children
Initiation of community managed micro health insurance (a system of pooling in of resources) at the community level to meet health needs.
Introduction of vocational training and income generation programmes to provide people with better livelihoods options and improve economic conditions.
The road ahead – full of hope and confidence
Plan continues to work with marginalised communities, including farmers with small land holdings, landless and daily wage labourers, fishermen, weavers, socially backward ethnic groups and tribes. Plan also helps the urban poor and communities in difficult circumstances - street children, children engaged in labour, children with disabilities, children orphaned by HIV/AIDS and people affected by natural disaster.
