The situation

In Latin America, 213 million people are poor and 88 million of them are extremely poor. These numbers have been increasing since 2004. The incidence of rural poverty in the region (59.1 per cent) is more than double the urban figure (26.1 per cent) and according to the Inter-American Development Bank, 35.5 per cent of the region’s poor comprise households working in agriculture.

More than half of the population is under 18 years old. Two out of five people living in extreme poverty are children and 68 million children (35 per cent of all children) in Latin America are suffering from severe deprivation. Particularly vulnerable are children in the rural areas, girls, indigenous children, disabled children, street children and working children.

Plan’s activities in the region

Plan is currently working in 12 countries in Latin and Central America. These are Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Peru. The vast majority of Plan’s work in the region is in rural areas, with an emphasis on livelihood, education, gender equality, health and HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).

During the year

• Promoted respect for children’s rights and improved child protection services;
• Facilitated the participation of children and young people in decision-making on policies affecting their lives;
• Raised awareness of children’s issues among a large audience by radio, TV and magazines, generating a sense of capability and selfesteem in the young people involved;
• Educated carers and government officials on issues of domestic violence. The lobby efforts in cooperation with other childcentred organisations, led to the adoption of recommendations by children’s rights institutions and policy-makers in several countries;
• Established in cooperation with Child Helpline International, child help lines in several countries;
• Continued to campaign for universal birth registration;
• Facilitated discussions with boys and young men about their relationships with the opposite sex, in order to improve the position of women in society and tackling issues, including domestic violence, sexual preferences, contraceptives, HIV/AIDS, STDs and sexual reproductive health;
• Strengthened the role of schools in community development. In El Salvador, for example, the emphasis was on establishing effective pre-school education, while in Guatemala the focus was on Early Childhood Care and Development, enabling children to enjoy a stimulating environment during pre-primary school age and facilitating a smooth enrolment in primary education;
• Promoted the adoption of quality learning ‘Escuela Nuova’ methodology;
• Supported HIV/AIDS awareness raising campaigns, targeting older school children and adolescents.

Last year

Plan spent US $112 million on child-centred community projects across the region.

Below are some of the outputs in the region:

• 686 training courses were run for community health workers;
• 27 health centres were constructed and 269 were renovated and equipped;
• 4,456 patients received medical treatment;
• 27,438 children from 580 communities were immunised;
• 16,283 girls and 15,346 boys received primary school scholarship;
• 2,685 participants took part in campaigns raising awareness on gender issues;
• 10,979 home latrines were constructed and upgraded;
• 1,757 women received vocational training.

In the future Plan will

• Continue to address violence against children. Plan will devote particular attention to activities which target groups and individuals who are difficult to reach or require special attention, including children in conflict, victims of trafficking and child labourers;
• Raise awareness and prevention of HIV/AIDS, targeting young people, making them aware of the issue and their sexual and reproductive health rights. These programmes will be gender-sensitive and will use schools, media and other venues to reach young people in an effective way;
• Continue to develop a regional approach to HIV/AIDS and stimulate regional exchange of knowledge and experience through alliances and networks;
• Promote best practices in food and nutrition security;
• Strengthen local organisations and institutions delivering services, like agricultural extension, microfinance and vocational training;
• Continue to work to reduce mortality rates among the under-fives, devoting attention to the primary health care for children of primary school age and programmes that integrate health and education