What a legacy can achieve
Lucy Handley-Smart from Manchester made a gift of £26,000 to Plan in her will, asking for the money to be used in Emmisano, Ghana - the community where Amina, her sponsored child, lives.
Plan has used that money to improve healthcare and education for children in Emmisano. With the funds from Ms Handley-Smart's legacy, enormous leaps forward were possible.
For a start, a new health centre was built and equipped with medical supplies. And because safe drinking water is hard to come by, water systems that process rainwater were constructed outside the local nursery school. What's more, 27 new toilets were built.
But children's health isn't just about bricks and mortar. Good health depends on an awareness of the simple steps that can keep children healthy. So community health workers were trained on common childhood diseases and other important issues. And information leaflets were distributed to raise awareness of issues such as hygiene, nutrition and family planning.
'A brighter future for children in rural Ghana'
Lack of education is another big problem for children in rural Ghana - secondary school, for example, is not free. Ms Handley-Smart's legacy enabled eight children from the poorest families to be enrolled in secondary school.
The overall impact of Ms Handley-Smart's generosity has been immense. Not only have children in Emmisano had the opportunity to study, but fewer children suffer from simple yet sometimes very serious health problems such as diarrhoea and poor nutrition. And they can get treatment if they do.
Plan realises that for long-term success, local people have to be fully involved in the planning and implementation of such projects - and ultimately to take control themselves.
So local people, including children, have been at the heart of the work. They helped design and plan the improvements, and took part in building the water systems and health centre. The Ghanaian government got involved too, providing the health centre with equipment.
Local children are delighted with what's been possible. "Without this scholarship I would not have been able to go to school," says Kofi, 14. "Now I am doing well in my studies and my future is bright."
Eleven-year-old Ekua is enthusiastic about the new toilets which mean girls like her no longer have to 'go' in far-off, uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous public places. "I am very happy we have a latrine," she says. "We no longer have to walk for long distances into the bush."
Other legacies which have made a huge impact
Having sponsored five children in Indonesia, Mark Francis from London left £10,000 to fund Plan's work in that country. The money helped rebuild a school in Java after it was destroyed by an earthquake, enabling 500 children to continue their education.
Mr Graham Jones sponsored Carlos Gomez in Managua, Nicaragua and left Plan £25,500 in his will, requesting that the money be used to benefit Carlos Gomez's community. Plan was able to use that money to build a new sports field in his neighbourhood, giving around 600 local youngsters alongside Carlos Gomez a place to play football, volleyball and basketball. Mr Jones's legacy also paid for a new nursery school in the same neighbourhood, giving 40 children the best possible start to their education.
By leaving a legacy to Plan, you will be making a long term difference in the lives of children - a difference that will literally last for decades. Contact our Legacy Advisor to find out more today. We promise your call will be dealt with in a friendly, discreet and respectful way.
Some names have been changed for child protection and privacy reasons.
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