As we prepare for 2023 here at Plan International USA, we’re looking back on a year full of hard work for positive change. If you ever wonder about the impact of your donation, here are eight photos that show how your support makes a difference through girls’ rights initiatives around the world.
1. You taught girls like Nga to dream big.
Nga, a 15-year-old girl in Vietnam, dreams of being a lawyer.
“Many people ask me if I’m scared that a girl can’t be a successful lawyer or become a leader,” she says. “I tell them that I don’t think so. Girls and boys are equal, and girls can do anything that boys can do. They just need to believe in themselves.”
So, where did Nga get the confidence to dream big?
She attends a Champions of Change children’s club in her village, supported by Plan International! The clubs provide young people with opportunities to understand the causes of child marriage and collaborate with each other to prevent them. Girls and boys are encouraged to work together to create a gender-equal society.
2. You delivered food to hungry children.
Niger is in the grip of the worst hunger crisis seen in decades. Increasingly erratic rainfall and longer dry seasons mean that many parts of the country have not had a good harvest for years. Temperatures are rising faster here than the rest of the world, leading to a cycle of droughts. Until the rains come, no planting can be done.
In response to the crisis, your support allowed Plan International to scale up our emergency response to reach the most affected girls and their families with cash and voucher assistance and food rations. In the country’s Tahoua region, 1,800 food kits have been distributed to families in urgent need from 13 villages. Each kit contains 55 pounds of rice, 40 pounds of haricot beans, 4 pounds of salt and 2 liters of oil.
“We are happy today, we got food, oil and beans,” Sadou, a woman in Niger, says. “We say thank you very much.”
3. You responded to the health needs of women like Keira.
Keira became pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“I didn’t know anything about contraceptives and was just told that they were for married people and if I used them, I would not have children in the future,” she explains.
But thanks to support from Plan donors, there were an adolescent-friendly health services available to Keira in her community.
“I usually visit the youth-friendly corner at the clinic,” she says. “They are a great support and I have learned many things about my sexual and reproductive health and rights. I would like to become an active member — a voice in our community so that no other girls will end up becoming pregnant and miss out on school.”
4. You gave girls a platform to speak their minds.
To mark the 10th International Day of the Girl, Plan partnered with the League of Arab States, the UNICEF Regional Office in the Middle East and North Africa, the UNFPA Arab States Regional Office and the Jordanian National Council for Family Affairs to host the first Arab Girls’ Summit in Jordan.
The girl-led summit offered adolescent girls from 18 Arab countries the opportunity to discuss the issues they face in health and well-being, learning and livelihoods, freedom from violence, access to justice and leadership opportunities with key decision-makers.
The summit, which was held over the course of three days, included member-state representatives from over 10 Arab countries. And thanks to the gathering, girls were able to directly voice their concerns and propose solutions through targeted advocacy asks.
5. You helped young women like Chiring earn their own income.
When she was just 8 months old, Chiring had cancer and lost one of her legs. As she grew older, activities that were simple for other girls became huge challenges for her.
“For women with disabilities, it’s difficult to manage our periods,” she explains. “Most of the time, we are stigmatized, and often we cannot access menstrual pads.”
So, when Chiring got the chance to learn how to make her own reusable menstrual pads in a Plan training, she jumped at the opportunity. Now, she sells the pads at her shop and has tripled her income!
6. You created a ripple effect by training young leaders in the U.S. like Riya.
This year, high school student Riya participated in Plan USA’s Youth Leadership Academy, a yearlong program designed to help young activists take their leadership to the next level. After a weeklong in-person intensive training in Washington, D.C., she worked with other young people, mentors and Plan staff to design and implement a project in her own community. Here’s how she describes her project, in her own words:
“Equal Writes is a youth organization in which student members of a club write journalism articles that portray their perspectives on current social justice issues happening globally. These writing pieces will then be published on our website. Our goal is to reach not only the students participating in our club, but hopefully educate and inform our readers as well. … Follow our Instagram, @equal_writes, for more information and updates!”
7. You helped men and boys join the fight against child trafficking.
Raúl, a father of three daughters, works as a human resource officer in the town hall in his community in the Dominican Republic. He’s also an active member of his community’s protection team, which was set up with the support of Plan International.
“Everything I learn, I pass on to my daughters, mainly the youngest,” he says. “I am one of those who believe that the youth are our future. I think that young people in vulnerable areas need someone to guide them, and there is a lot of vulnerability here.”
8. You sponsored girls like Mirella and helped them stay in school.
Although education is free in Ecuador, not every child can access it. Girls are more likely to drop out of school early due to poverty, pregnancy or gendered social norms that still prevail across the county. But some girls, like 16-year-old Mirella, are determined to buck this trend and are doing everything they can do ensure they complete their studies.
And because someone like you sponsors Mirella, Plan is supporting her education with a scholarship.
“It was very motivating for me to receive this kind of assistance, because I am aware that education is very important for my life and future,” she says.
The effects of your gifts are real and long lasting. Thank you! Here’s to another year of creating change with girl leaders.
