The call for meaningful participation of children of all ages in Camotes, stirred a positive response in the communities as children and young people organised themselves in functional Barangay Children’s Associations and Municipal Children’s Associations in 56 villages. The children worked together in helping each other to be productive and responsible citizens. Each group elected their own president and leaders.

Representatives from the groups participate in island-wide consultations to tackle children’s issues. They are encouraged to speak their minds on various issues facing them, including HIV/AIDS, drugs, education and health.

Elected group leaders represent children and young people in most of the Barangay and Municipal Councils for the Protection of Children where they have a platform to voice and share their and their peers’ concerns.

DfID Partnership Programme Agreement

Governance and children are not words that are intuitively associated with each other, but Plan UK believes they should be.

Children and youth constitute the majority of the developing world. They are the most vulnerable, the most affected by poverty and yet they are the least consulted members of society.

Plan UK recognises the vital contribution children make across the developing world, to their families and their communities.

Its experience shows that they have unique capacities to bring about behavioural and attitudinal change for the development of their communities.

During the year

Worked with Plan country offices in preparing its proposal for a Partnership Programme Agreement (PPA) with DfID in support of our governance work. Plan UK was successful in securing the partnership for the next five years (2006 – 2011) which will provide extra resources, opportunities for improved policy dialogue, sharing of expertise, institutional development and strategic linkages with DfID. These opportunities will support the achievement of the programme’s aim: to promote children and young people’s participation in better governance which addresses the wellbeing of children living in poverty.

In the future Plan UK will

• Provide support to programme countries to ensure greater participation and representation of young citizens in formal and informal governance, including Plan’s work in strengthening children’s clubs, youth associations and young people’s parliaments;
• Build the capacity of local civil society organisations to influence governments in Plan’s programme countries to adopt and implement child rights legislation and policies;
• Connect young people across the world through development education initiatives, including school linking for increased awareness and understanding of global citizenship.