Gender inequality remains a massive issue - particularly in education

The benefits of an early education

Watching these happy children learning while having fun, it's hard to imagine that three years ago Laos did not have any pre-schools.

"By attending pre-school the children will be better in the first grade. I want these children to be developed and to have skills like children in other countries," says Kahmla Vannasone, a pre-school teacher in Bokeo Province, where Plan is supporting the most disadvantaged communities to develop their pre-school education systems.

In a region that has some of the poorest people in Laos, quality education is one of the best ways to help communities start the journey out of poverty. But school is largely ineffective if children aren't ready to make the most of it - and that's where Plan's early learning work comes in.

One element of Plan's work focuses on teacher training. In a country that historically enforces rote learning; pre-school teachers are learning alternative education practices, such as age-appropriate teaching methods, the importance of play-based learning, and how to make play equipment and toys from local materials.

Kahmla says the training has improved her teaching, and she can see the positive impact on students.

"These days, children are coming to school more regularly and in greater numbers because we have all the toys and equipment that attract children," she says.

A supportive family is also crucial for academic success, so Plan has been running workshops for parents in partnership with the Department of Education. Parents are taught the importance of sending children to pre-school and are encouraged to play an active and supportive role in helping their children develop and learn, at home and at school.

Bounkhan Monimone, whose youngest son attends a Plan-supported pre-school, has received parent training over the past two years. He has learned better ways to speak to his children and to encourage them to listen to their teacher at school.

Bounkhan says he has noticed a difference between his son and his older children who did not have the opportunity to attend a pre-school.

"My (youngest) son is very different. He comes home and shows me what he has learnt. There are facilities that he can enjoy - in the past they don't have that," he says.

"The children are more obedient to parents and teachers. They don't get angry."

FAQ

What does 'AusAID dollar matching' mean?
One of the many reasons we decided to partner with Plan is because of their ability to add value to our donations from AusAID - the Australian Government Agency for International Development. This means that for every dollar donated to SAMA, Plan can receive up to $5 more from AusAID.

For every dollar contributed to Plan's Priority Projects supported by the AusAID NGO Cooperation Program by 30th June 2012 AusAID gives up to $5 more. If Plan receives more than is required for the current financial year, the donations in excess will be applied to subsequent years of the project or to other Priority Projects.

SAMA is a 3 year project. What will happen after three years?
While SAMA has been outlined as a three year project aimed at benefitting girls, boys and communities around the world, we are committed to supporting projects that can be sustained in the long term.

One of the key competencies sought when considering potential partners for SAMA, was that the development organisation had a strong focus on the monitoring and evaluation of its programs - for the life of each project and after its implementation. Plan shone through in this area due to their holistic approach to operating sustainable, well measured programs. Plan adopts thorough monitoring and evaluation techniques that measure the quantitative, qualitative and longitudinal results of each project.

How are Plan's early learning projects sustainable?
All Plan projects are planned, designed and implemented with sustainability in mind. For example, Plan:

• Promotes development of toys and learning materials for children that are low cost or no cost, using locally available materials
• Ensures that investments in educational products and capacity development will be widely used after the life of the project.
• Uses direct implementation to ensure that more resources reach the community to build a strong base of knowledge and skills, and that the implementers are people who will continue living and working in the community.
• Provides intensive technical assistance which will be reduced over time. This is designed to move communities toward relative independence and to enable Plan to test whether the program can be sustained by the community and at what cost to quality and impact.
• Works with local communities to ensure that programs are relevant and designed to reflect local context, culture and priorities for children, and inclusive of positive indigenous knowledge, language and practices.
• Empowers and mobilizes parents (both mothers and fathers) to provide care, protection and stimulation for children and to demand services and support from government as primary duty-bearers.
• Works with all levels of government to improve early childhood wellbeing outcomes.

Do the supported projects involve the local community and government?
Another strength of Plan is their focus on building strong relationships - from community through to government level. Government and community partners are involved in project planning, design, monitoring, training and capacity building activities. This participatory approach ensures that project activities are relevant, effective and sustainable in the long term.

How is SAMA's first project sustainable?
In the case of Plan's Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) project in Laos, one of the key sustainability strategies is to work in close partnership with government at district, provincial and national level and with community members, to increase their knowledge and skills, and improve their practice in support of holistic child development. Plan has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Loas government to implement the ECCD program.

The implementation partners are the Pre-and Primary-Education Departments of the Ministry of Education and Provincial Education Services (PES) and District Education Bureaus (DEBs) in Bokeo. Through this MOU, Plan is supporting development of quality early childhood education (policy, capacity, understanding) at the national level as well as helping to improve access of children to quality preschool education, especially those who live in remote and ethnic communities. Plan is also supporting parenting education which improves parent's knowledge and practice to support children's health, development and learning.

In Laos, Plan works with existing government preschools, however, many areas do not qualify for a government preschool so Plan is working with the government to provide support to those communities through parenting education programs and through piloting a community based school readiness program. Because Plan is working to support the government system and improve capacity and quality through for example, training of preschool teachers, school directors, Village Education Development Committees and parents, the project will be sustainable in the long term.

Will teachers earn an income or will the schools be community-run?
In Laos, preschool and primary school teacher salaries are paid by the government. However, many areas do not qualify for a government preschool so Plan is working with the government to provide support to those communities through parenting education programs and through piloting a community based school readiness program.

Plan generally works with government systems so as not to set up parallel services. In the case of primary schools, Plan always works with the government system and seeks to improve access, equity, quality and support for learning so that children have improved learning outcomes.

In terms of preschools (pre-primary education), Plan supports the formal preschool sector if one exists, or if not, will seek to demonstrate to government a low cost, community-run model for ECCD centres which will be replicable by government. Even where there is a government preschool system, this rarely reaches disadvantaged communities who are the targets of Plan's work.

Preschool teachers in formal institutions are paid by the government. However, one area of advocacy for Plan is on fair and equitable remuneration of preschool teachers. In many countries, preschool teachers receive less money than primary school teachers as their work is perceived to be of lower value/less importance.

Where Plan supports non-formal ECCD centres, these may be run by community volunteers. Some receive an honorarium from Plan in acknowledgement of their time commitment, but Plan always encourages community contributions to support the work of volunteers as this contributes to sustainability.

Ensuring community support for pre-primary and primary education is also crucial for sustainability. Plan works with parents and community members, for example through parenting groups or School Management Committees to ensure ongoing involvement and engagement with the pre and primary school.

Plan's work in ECCD and education focuses on improving access, especially for children who are still falling outside the net (e.g. children disadvantaged by gender, ethnicity, disability, poverty and environmental factors such as emergencies). Plan also improves the quality of programming through support for innovative caregiving and teaching and learning methodologies and low cost resourcing that promotes involvement of families and enjoyment of children so that they feel supported and happy in their learning environments. Sometimes this will require us to look beyond the formal sector to alternative learning systems and methodologies.

Why is SAMA focused on Education?
Intrepid believes it is important to support early childhood and education projects, with a particular focus on girls, because we recognise that the right to education is a fundamental right. Education is one of the most effective development investments and is key to building the capacity of individuals, families, communities and nations. This is most relevant for marginalised or disadvantaged groups and is the primary vehicle by which such people can effect the kind of generational change that breaks the cycle of poverty. People with an education, even a basic one, are able to access information about rights that impact on every aspect of their lives.

Will Intrepid take passengers to visit any SAMA projects down the track?
This is quite a sensitive issue, as foreign visitors can have both positive and negative impacts on both the projects themselves and the local communities. In many cases it can be disruptive for both children and families. We must respect the local communities' choice to have us visit them.

There are also logistical factors to consider. Plan targets poor and remote communities and sometimes these are not easily accessible all year round i.e. during the rainy season and some working areas are politically sensitive which means the government does not allow foreign visitors. Arranging project visits also takes valuable staff time that would otherwise be spent on project implementation and monitoring activities.

Intrepid and Plan will work together to weigh up the benefits on a project-by-project basis, however we do hope to include a group visits to at least some SAMA projects down the track.

What about other important issues like health care, human rights and illiteracy?
The Intrepid Foundation (TIF) has been supporting projects in a range of areas including health care, human rights, child welfare, education and environmental and wildlife protection since it began its work in 2002.

In the past decade, TIF has distributed over $AU2.5 million to a variety of not-for-profit organisations and grassroots organisations in the regions in which we operate. TIF also provides ongoing support to several international NGOs including Amnesty International and Médicins Sans Frontières, and has the capacity to respond to emergency appeals around the world.

So SAMA and The Intrepid Foundation are different?
Yes. SAMA and TIF will work in harmony to raise awareness and support for their respective projects.

How can I get involved?
Keep an eye on our Sama web page for ways that you can help out. For now, feel free to like us, share us, tweet us or High-5 us!

Also, if you are interested to know more about the plight of girls and gender inequality around the world, consider checking out some of these sites:

• www.plan.org
• www.becauseiamagirl.com.au/2011/stories.html
• www.beta.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/mdgoverview.html
• www.iamagirl.com.au/the-film/the-clips/
• www.ted.com/talks/sheryl_wudunn_our_century_s_greatest_injustice.html

So why did you choose Plan, such an established global development agency? Wouldn't it have been better to support a growing or more grassroots organisation?
A detailed analysis was completed internally of many different NGOs and aid organisations and, after meeting with several potential partners, Plan was identified as the one which most closely aligned with our project mission.

Here are a few more reasons we chose to partner with Plan:

• their Because I am a Girl campaign which highlights in the 70 countries Plan works in, the importance of investing in girls
• their holistic approach to gender equality in education which includes both girls and boys
• their track record of running sustainable, well-measured programs and 75 years of experience in International Development
• their strong connections with communities, community based organisations and different levels of government in each program country
• their ability to add value to our donations with AusAID funding
• the high-level support offered through their global offices and networks
• their ability to provide engagement opportunities for Intrepid staff
• they are an AusAID (Australian Government Agency for International Development) accredited NGO which provides the Australian public with confidence that the Australian Government is funding professional, well managed, community based organisations that are capable of delivering quality development outcomes.

Why can't I donate via PayPal?
Setting up donation payment gateways is quite a complicated process. To ensure your donation dollars reach the desired project most efficiently, the existing Plan payment gateway is the best solution for all AUD donations, while Ammado is the most suitable for all other currencies.

Shoot us an email at sama@intrepidtravel.com if you're having any issues donating and we'll do our best to remedy it!

Sama means Equal in Indonesian