CAIRO: An award-winning television show for children and a successful youth employability program are just two of the many initiatives Plan International is spearheading to improve the standard of living for children in Egypt. Plan International is one of the largest child-centered community development organizations in the world. Working in 66 countries, Plan's projects and initiatives address the causes of poverty and its consequences on children's lives. Nigel Chapman, the organization's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), is currently on a visit to Egypt to meet with all of the national directors from Plan as well as the team that works in East and South Africa. Daily News Egypt sat down with the CEO to discuss the organization's objectives and future plans in Egypt. "We are a child-centered development organization.children are the catalyst for change in society, we want to hear their voices and we want to see it affect change because it's their society, their future so they have a stake in it, says Chapman. "Plan is a long established child-centered development organization founded in the 1930s by a British journalist who was caught up in the Spanish Civil War and saw a little boy walking with a sign around his neck saying: 'My Name is Jose, if you come across me it will mean I'm an orphan, would you look after me?', recalled Chapman. The NGO now has over 7,000 staff members around the world and is working with around 1.2 million children. "The benefit of that doesn't only affect that child, it affects the communities we work in as a whole so there are at least around 4 [million] to 5 million children and families who benefit from Plan, he explained. Even though Plan works in different countries with different conditions, they have one main mission and that is to make a lasting improvement in the quality of life of underprivileged children in developing countries and "work with communities for them to realize their own potential. Plan has been in Egypt since 1981, under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Solidarity, working with more than 40 community development associations in Cairo, Giza, Qaliubiya, Alexandria, Assiut and Beheira. Their main focus is on education, child rights, health, potable water, basic sanitation, birth registration, support for food production and income generation. Their work with the government mainly involves helping them put into effect the development plans they've set for their communities. "It not about building schools and hospitals but about training skills for young people, encouraging girls to go to school, noted Chapman. "It's up to each country to decide which of our themes they like to work with that are appropriate to their society, he added. Plan has expertise in the development field which it shares with governments around the world. Some developing countries often do not have access to policy makers or strategy thinkers and so they turn to Plan for advice and assistance. Chapman pointed out that "It's part of our role to work closely with governments in a constructive way, so together we can raise the standard of life for children. Plan is funded through three channels. First, there are 20 countries around the world that raise funds, mainly in the developed world such as Europe, Asia and America. All the money they get is poured into a central pot and then divided among the 66 countries where the organization operates. "The team would have a budget based on partly the number of individual children who are sponsored by families, said Chapman. In Egypt there are about 40,000 family-sponsored children. The organization also receives grants specifically targeted towards one cause. For example, the British government would give them a grant to do launch a program for street children in Egypt. It also receives funding from corporations and multinational organization which allocate money for certain projects. "We're building up our fundraising in Egypt through corporate social responsibility, that's our projection for the future but currently the core funding for Plan Egypt comes from abroad, Plan Egypt's country directory Edward McKenzie Abbey said. At the moment the annual budget for Plan Egypt is $7.5 million and over the past 10 years they have spent around $100 million to support the six areas where they work. "It's a significant investment and it's a long-term investment because we're not going anywhere, the projects we are working on need long term commitment, said Chapman. Chapman noted that around the world Plan has numerous projects working on female empowerment. "We know if we invest more money in girls, they will go to school, they will be healthier, they will marry later, have fewer children and the truth is they will invest more money back in their families than boys, he explained, adding that one of the ways to eradicate poverty is investing in girls. Chapman was appointed as Plan International's CEO in 2008, before which he worked for the BBC for more than 20 years. He is also chair of the BBC World Service Trust, the World Service's charitable arm, which uses communications and new technologies to aid development in some of the world's poorest countries.
