Ethical Travel: Plan for the children
If you're unfortunate enough to travel to work everyday on the London Underground, then you have two choices.
ONE – give into the human currents and end up with your head crammed into the sweaty armpit of the resident tramp for forty minutes.
TWO – fight the currents and elbow your way into a position where you can hang over the underground professionals who accomplished the impossible and got a seat. From this position you can entertain yourself with the underground advertisements.
One charity that's been creating quite a well deserved fuss on these mini bill boards is Plan
They work in 62 countries to address the causes of poverty and the consequences of this in children's lives. Using the good money that folks like you raise, they work with children, their families and communities to build a place where the children are safe, healthy and capable of realising their full potential.
One of the most inspiring tales to come out of the Plan camp is that of the supporters who completed an 11 day trek through the Golden Triangle region of Northern Thailand. In the process they managed to raise more than £22,000.
Lin Houston took part in the trek and gained memories of a country and a culture, that you just can't get any other way.
She said: “The day before we started trekking, arrangements had been made for us to visit a school which is supported by Plan. We were made to feel so welcome; we were each given a flower and refreshments. It was so humbling to be given so much by people who have so little.
“The following day we were taken to the river where we boarded long stern boats for a trip along the Mae Kok River. It was so refreshing and cooling and the scenery was stunning.”
There are more than enough projects like this to accommodate even the most adventurous backpackers. Plan work across Africa, Asia, Central America and South America, to give the kids here a shot at a life that isn't dominated by elements the majority of us, were lucky enough to grow up without.
If you want to help out by taking part in an overseas challenge for Plan then contact kevin.machin@plan-international.org for more information on upcoming challenges.
But what does support like this actually translate into? Here's a real life example of a child that couldn't have got by without a little help from his Plan friends.
For the past ten years, Rachel Brastock has sponsored Lenin, a young boy who lives in a small, rural village in Ecuador. In September 2006, she travelled there and was able to meet him.
Here's the difference she's making: “We gave Lenin his presents including a Swiss army knife and an Arsenal football shirt, which he seemed to enjoy. He is a typical teenager – I wasn't surprised that he disappeared into the house with his brothers as soon as he could!
“Lenin's family are peasant farmers who walk three hours to get to work and only receive five dollars per day. Older boys, like Lenin, typically leave school at the age of eleven to help their families with farm work.
“I was most struck by the hardships Lenin's family encounters daily and the lack of opportunities to break the cycle of poverty. Plan is making a real difference though, by increasing educational opportunities and providing villages like Lenin's with the basics of clean water, electricity and toilets.”
If you still want to help but can't quite face the potential trek you can still show your support by sponsoring a child like Rachel did on www.plan-uk.org/becomeasponsor.
In some of the countries where Plan works, 1 in 5 children die before they even reach their fifth birthday. Those who survive often go hungry and have no chance of ever learning to read and write.
Sponsor a child with Plan for £12 per month and you can help change this. Why not give them the basics we take for granted and give them a shot a breaking the poverty cycle?
