Real progressWith the support of Plan, children and adults in Cameroon are working together to developtheir communities and claim their right to abetter future. And real progress is being made. Among other successes, last year we:

• Organised a Heath and Nutrition ActionWeek in 11 districts to boost knowledgeabout de-worming, immunisation and malaria

• Helped to establish money-generating activities to support 280 orphans and vulnerable children

• Helped communities to rebuild and refurnish 10 primary school buildingsand build 38 new classrooms

• Facilitated scholarships for 115 children so they could go to secondary school.

For Plan, success almost always comes from a jointeffort combining the hard work and determination ofcommunities, children, volunteers, staff, and partnerorganisations. But the ongoing support of our sponsorsis a vital ingredient, too. It’s their generosity andcommitment that allows us to continue to help childrenin 49 of the poorest countries in the world.

So on behalf of the children and communities we work with, thank you to all our sponsors!

Plan UKReport on Plan programs in Albania for the year ended June 2007

CMR

Education, especially for girls, is vital to developingCameroon in the long term

p

Challenge and change in CameroonIt’s been an eventful year for Plan in Cameroon. We’re working to improve education,ensure the survival of infants, increase livelihoods and boost awareness andunderstanding of children’s rights. We’re also working to realise the rights of themarginalised Baka (Pygmy) people.

As part of our work to ensure the survival of children under the age of five, Plan hasbeen supporting Government efforts to boost immunisation rates and tacklechildhood illnesses. “Both aimed to significantly reduce infant and childhood mortalityattributable to malaria, malnutrition, acute respiratory tract infection, diarrhoea andHIV/AIDS,” says Country Director Amadou Bocoum.

What’s more, our contribution to activities commemorating the Day of theAfrican Child (16 June) was officiallyrecognised when the Governmentdesignated 14 June as Plan Cameroon Day.

In this Country Progress Report, weconcentrate on just one story from asmall village in Cameroon as an exampleof the kind of work we’re doing.

Cameroon country factsPopulation: 16.3 million

Capital: Yaounde

UN Human Development Indexranking: 144th (of 177 countries)

Life expectancy: 46 years

Infants with low birth weight: 13%

People without adequate sanitation: 49%

(Sources: the UN, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, UNICEF)

A Baka (Pygmy) woman addresses an awareness-raisingcommunity meeting

p

Country ProgressReport 2007

Cameroon

Admagic No:Bright No:

Client name:File name:

Date:Size:

Studio proof:

0407100647PLAN0407_Cameroon01.11.07210x443.5mm FOLD TO A55 Client proof: 3

Any enquiries please contact:Nick Burton. e: nick@bright-uk.comm: 07884 367567. d: 020 7620 8150

Size (Prod) Colours(Prod) Art (A/D) Copy (C/W) Content (Acc.)

146.5mm FLAP 148.5mm BACK 148.5mm FRONT

Real progressWith the support of Plan, children and adults in Cameroon are working together to developtheir communities and claim their right to abetter future. And real progress is being made. Among other successes, last year we:

• Organised a Heath and Nutrition ActionWeek in 11 districts to boost knowledgeabout de-worming, immunisation and malaria

• Helped to establish money-generating activities to support 280 orphans and vulnerable children

• Helped communities to rebuild and refurnish 10 primary school buildingsand build 38 new classrooms

• Facilitated scholarships for 115 children so they could go to secondary school.

For Plan, success almost always comes from a jointeffort combining the hard work and determination ofcommunities, children, volunteers, staff, and partnerorganisations. But the ongoing support of our sponsorsis a vital ingredient, too. It’s their generosity andcommitment that allows us to continue to help childrenin 49 of the poorest countries in the world.

So on behalf of the children and communities we work with, thank you to all our sponsors!

Plan UKReport on Plan programs in Albania for the year ended June 2007

CMR

Education, especially for girls, is vital to developingCameroon in the long term

p

Challenge and change in CameroonIt’s been an eventful year for Plan in Cameroon. We’re working to improve education,ensure the survival of infants, increase livelihoods and boost awareness andunderstanding of children’s rights. We’re also working to realise the rights of themarginalised Baka (Pygmy) people.

As part of our work to ensure the survival of children under the age of five, Plan hasbeen supporting Government efforts to boost immunisation rates and tacklechildhood illnesses. “Both aimed to significantly reduce infant and childhood mortalityattributable to malaria, malnutrition, acute respiratory tract infection, diarrhoea andHIV/AIDS,” says Country Director Amadou Bocoum.

What’s more, our contribution to activities commemorating the Day of theAfrican Child (16 June) was officiallyrecognised when the Governmentdesignated 14 June as Plan Cameroon Day.

In this Country Progress Report, weconcentrate on just one story from asmall village in Cameroon as an exampleof the kind of work we’re doing.

Cameroon country factsPopulation: 16.3 million

Capital: Yaounde

UN Human Development Indexranking: 144th (of 177 countries)

Life expectancy: 46 years

Infants with low birth weight: 13%

People without adequate sanitation: 49%

(Sources: the UN, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, UNICEF)

A Baka (Pygmy) woman addresses an awareness-raisingcommunity meeting

p

Country ProgressReport 2007

Cameroon

Admagic No:Bright No:

Client name:File name:

Date:Size:

Studio proof:

0407100647PLAN0407_Cameroon01.11.07210x443.5mm FOLD TO A55 Client proof: 3

Any enquiries please contact:Nick Burton. e: nick@bright-uk.comm: 07884 367567. d: 020 7620 8150

Size (Prod) Colours(Prod) Art (A/D) Copy (C/W) Content (Acc.)

146.5mm FLAP 148.5mm BACK 148.5mm FRONT

“I have dug a latrine as a result oflistening to Bongesherie talk aboutgood hygiene practices,” says villagerDonald. He now takes pride in caringfor the health of his children, andcarries his youngest child to the healthcentre while his wife stays at home withthe other children.

“I have dug a latrine as a result oflistening to the village womentalk about good hygienepractices.”

Plan is working in 118 communities totackle childhood illnesses in acomprehensive way.

We provide training and supervisionacross the board, from districtcommittees focused on water andhealth to traditional medicinepractitioners and women’s groups.Getting these groups on board isimportant because changing people’sbehaviour is a key way to preventdisease and poor health.

Some names have been changed for child protection and privacy reasons.

An example comes from the village ofNtangoh, North-west Cameroon. The men here traditionally spend theirdays busy making raffia palm wine.Naturally, a lot of their pride andidentity was wrapped up in this craft.But sometimes, their focus has got inthe way of other responsibilities, and even their natural concern for theirchildren’s health.

Traditionally, it was the women of thevillage who were left in sole charge ofchildren’s health. But this came on topof a heavy workload of domestic choresand the demands of subsistencefarming. And even when their childrenbecame sick or malnourished, thefathers were often unable to see a rolefor themselves.

“Woman, it is not my duty to take thebaby to hospital or take care of himwhen he is sick.” These were the wordsof the father of baby Felix Yasho, whenhis wife asked him to help look aftertheir sick child earlier this year.Tragically, Felix subsequently died.

Baby Felix was not alone. Childhoodmortality in Cameroon is high: each

year, 84,000 children die beforereaching the age of five. Children likeFelix often become ill throughmalnutrition or by contracting malariaor preventable diseases, but there islittle knowledge about how to tacklesuch diseases in villages like Ntangoh,nor awareness of good hygienepractices.

Change on the horizonBut in Ntangoh, Felix’s death sparkedthe 43 women of the Plan-supportedwomen’s group called Bongesherie tomake changes.

After gaining permission from thevillage chief, they started encouragingmen to get involved in child healthcare.They went door to door, campaigningand asking men to join their group. Ten men agreed to do so. One nowleads the campaigns on child healthissues, raising awareness of the thingsparents can do to improve theirchildren’s chances of survival, frombreastfeeding to setting up insecticide-treated bed-nets to keep mosquitoes at bay.

Other men have become involved in thegroup’s work. They join the womengoing from door to door to weighchildren and identify cases ofmalnutrition. Such children can then be taken to the local nutrition centre for treatment.

A change in maleattitudesThe men of Ntangoh have learned a lot.They’ve also witnessed the effects ofmalnutrition at first hand when they’vevisited children at home. With theseexperiences, their behaviour has begunto change. Many have recognised forthe first time that while they’ve beenbusy making palm wine, they’ve beenneglecting the health of their children.And as they’ve grown to understandthe links between good nutrition andgood health, they’ve begun to re-thinktheir priorities.

Today, men in the village no long selltheir entire groundnut or soya beanharvests. Instead, they hold back largeportions of these crops for their familiesto eat. At the beginning of 2007, therewere 20 underweight children in thevillage, but as a result of the men’saction, that number dropped to zerowithin three months.

In Cameroon, each year 84,000children die before reaching theage of five.

According to one male villager: “I getup every morning and before going tomake palm wine, I enquire about thehealth of my children and their mothertoo, thanks to the advice ofBongesherie.”

Better sanitationNtangoh used to have no latrines andpeople used communal holes – a majorhealth hazard. Now, working throughlocal groups, Plan has also encouragedcommunities like Ntangoh to constructwater and sanitation facilities, to reducethe prevalence of waterborne diseases.And securing the men’s involvement inhygiene campaigns has led to familiesbuilding and owning their own latrines.

A father in Ntangoh teaches his child to countp

Levels of malnutrition in Ntangoh have now fallen dramaticallyp

Men can help, tooIn many parts of Africa, there are very clear cultural divides between theresponsibilities of men and women. Plan works in a way which is sensitive tosuch traditions, but sometimes we find they get in the way of children’swellbeing, and that’s when we try to make changes.

148.5mm INSIDE 148.5mm INSIDE 146.5mm INSIDE

“I have dug a latrine as a result oflistening to Bongesherie talk aboutgood hygiene practices,” says villagerDonald. He now takes pride in caringfor the health of his children, andcarries his youngest child to the healthcentre while his wife stays at home withthe other children.

“I have dug a latrine as a result oflistening to the village womentalk about good hygienepractices.”

Plan is working in 118 communities totackle childhood illnesses in acomprehensive way.

We provide training and supervisionacross the board, from districtcommittees focused on water andhealth to traditional medicinepractitioners and women’s groups.Getting these groups on board isimportant because changing people’sbehaviour is a key way to preventdisease and poor health.

Some names have been changed for child protection and privacy reasons.

An example comes from the village ofNtangoh, North-west Cameroon. The men here traditionally spend theirdays busy making raffia palm wine.Naturally, a lot of their pride andidentity was wrapped up in this craft.But sometimes, their focus has got inthe way of other responsibilities, and even their natural concern for theirchildren’s health.

Traditionally, it was the women of thevillage who were left in sole charge ofchildren’s health. But this came on topof a heavy workload of domestic choresand the demands of subsistencefarming. And even when their childrenbecame sick or malnourished, thefathers were often unable to see a rolefor themselves.

“Woman, it is not my duty to take thebaby to hospital or take care of himwhen he is sick.” These were the wordsof the father of baby Felix Yasho, whenhis wife asked him to help look aftertheir sick child earlier this year.Tragically, Felix subsequently died.

Baby Felix was not alone. Childhoodmortality in Cameroon is high: each

year, 84,000 children die beforereaching the age of five. Children likeFelix often become ill throughmalnutrition or by contracting malariaor preventable diseases, but there islittle knowledge about how to tacklesuch diseases in villages like Ntangoh,nor awareness of good hygienepractices.

Change on the horizonBut in Ntangoh, Felix’s death sparkedthe 43 women of the Plan-supportedwomen’s group called Bongesherie tomake changes.

After gaining permission from thevillage chief, they started encouragingmen to get involved in child healthcare.They went door to door, campaigningand asking men to join their group. Ten men agreed to do so. One nowleads the campaigns on child healthissues, raising awareness of the thingsparents can do to improve theirchildren’s chances of survival, frombreastfeeding to setting up insecticide-treated bed-nets to keep mosquitoes at bay.

Other men have become involved in thegroup’s work. They join the womengoing from door to door to weighchildren and identify cases ofmalnutrition. Such children can then be taken to the local nutrition centre for treatment.

A change in maleattitudesThe men of Ntangoh have learned a lot.They’ve also witnessed the effects ofmalnutrition at first hand when they’vevisited children at home. With theseexperiences, their behaviour has begunto change. Many have recognised forthe first time that while they’ve beenbusy making palm wine, they’ve beenneglecting the health of their children.And as they’ve grown to understandthe links between good nutrition andgood health, they’ve begun to re-thinktheir priorities.

Today, men in the village no long selltheir entire groundnut or soya beanharvests. Instead, they hold back largeportions of these crops for their familiesto eat. At the beginning of 2007, therewere 20 underweight children in thevillage, but as a result of the men’saction, that number dropped to zerowithin three months.

In Cameroon, each year 84,000children die before reaching theage of five.

According to one male villager: “I getup every morning and before going tomake palm wine, I enquire about thehealth of my children and their mothertoo, thanks to the advice ofBongesherie.”

Better sanitationNtangoh used to have no latrines andpeople used communal holes – a majorhealth hazard. Now, working throughlocal groups, Plan has also encouragedcommunities like Ntangoh to constructwater and sanitation facilities, to reducethe prevalence of waterborne diseases.And securing the men’s involvement inhygiene campaigns has led to familiesbuilding and owning their own latrines.

A father in Ntangoh teaches his child to countp

Levels of malnutrition in Ntangoh have now fallen dramaticallyp

Men can help, tooIn many parts of Africa, there are very clear cultural divides between theresponsibilities of men and women. Plan works in a way which is sensitive tosuch traditions, but sometimes we find they get in the way of children’swellbeing, and that’s when we try to make changes.

148.5mm INSIDE 148.5mm INSIDE 146.5mm INSIDE

“I have dug a latrine as a result oflistening to Bongesherie talk aboutgood hygiene practices,” says villagerDonald. He now takes pride in caringfor the health of his children, andcarries his youngest child to the healthcentre while his wife stays at home withthe other children.

“I have dug a latrine as a result oflistening to the village womentalk about good hygienepractices.”

Plan is working in 118 communities totackle childhood illnesses in acomprehensive way.

We provide training and supervisionacross the board, from districtcommittees focused on water andhealth to traditional medicinepractitioners and women’s groups.Getting these groups on board isimportant because changing people’sbehaviour is a key way to preventdisease and poor health.

Some names have been changed for child protection and privacy reasons.

An example comes from the village ofNtangoh, North-west Cameroon. The men here traditionally spend theirdays busy making raffia palm wine.Naturally, a lot of their pride andidentity was wrapped up in this craft.But sometimes, their focus has got inthe way of other responsibilities, and even their natural concern for theirchildren’s health.

Traditionally, it was the women of thevillage who were left in sole charge ofchildren’s health. But this came on topof a heavy workload of domestic choresand the demands of subsistencefarming. And even when their childrenbecame sick or malnourished, thefathers were often unable to see a rolefor themselves.

“Woman, it is not my duty to take thebaby to hospital or take care of himwhen he is sick.” These were the wordsof the father of baby Felix Yasho, whenhis wife asked him to help look aftertheir sick child earlier this year.Tragically, Felix subsequently died.

Baby Felix was not alone. Childhoodmortality in Cameroon is high: each

year, 84,000 children die beforereaching the age of five. Children likeFelix often become ill throughmalnutrition or by contracting malariaor preventable diseases, but there islittle knowledge about how to tacklesuch diseases in villages like Ntangoh,nor awareness of good hygienepractices.

Change on the horizonBut in Ntangoh, Felix’s death sparkedthe 43 women of the Plan-supportedwomen’s group called Bongesherie tomake changes.

After gaining permission from thevillage chief, they started encouragingmen to get involved in child healthcare.They went door to door, campaigningand asking men to join their group. Ten men agreed to do so. One nowleads the campaigns on child healthissues, raising awareness of the thingsparents can do to improve theirchildren’s chances of survival, frombreastfeeding to setting up insecticide-treated bed-nets to keep mosquitoes at bay.

Other men have become involved in thegroup’s work. They join the womengoing from door to door to weighchildren and identify cases ofmalnutrition. Such children can then be taken to the local nutrition centre for treatment.

A change in maleattitudesThe men of Ntangoh have learned a lot.They’ve also witnessed the effects ofmalnutrition at first hand when they’vevisited children at home. With theseexperiences, their behaviour has begunto change. Many have recognised forthe first time that while they’ve beenbusy making palm wine, they’ve beenneglecting the health of their children.And as they’ve grown to understandthe links between good nutrition andgood health, they’ve begun to re-thinktheir priorities.

Today, men in the village no long selltheir entire groundnut or soya beanharvests. Instead, they hold back largeportions of these crops for their familiesto eat. At the beginning of 2007, therewere 20 underweight children in thevillage, but as a result of the men’saction, that number dropped to zerowithin three months.

In Cameroon, each year 84,000children die before reaching theage of five.

According to one male villager: “I getup every morning and before going tomake palm wine, I enquire about thehealth of my children and their mothertoo, thanks to the advice ofBongesherie.”

Better sanitationNtangoh used to have no latrines andpeople used communal holes – a majorhealth hazard. Now, working throughlocal groups, Plan has also encouragedcommunities like Ntangoh to constructwater and sanitation facilities, to reducethe prevalence of waterborne diseases.And securing the men’s involvement inhygiene campaigns has led to familiesbuilding and owning their own latrines.

A father in Ntangoh teaches his child to countp

Levels of malnutrition in Ntangoh have now fallen dramaticallyp

Men can help, tooIn many parts of Africa, there are very clear cultural divides between theresponsibilities of men and women. Plan works in a way which is sensitive tosuch traditions, but sometimes we find they get in the way of children’swellbeing, and that’s when we try to make changes.

148.5mm INSIDE 148.5mm INSIDE 146.5mm INSIDE

Real progressWith the support of Plan, children and adults in Cameroon are working together to developtheir communities and claim their right to abetter future. And real progress is being made. Among other successes, last year we:

• Organised a Heath and Nutrition ActionWeek in 11 districts to boost knowledgeabout de-worming, immunisation and malaria

• Helped to establish money-generating activities to support 280 orphans and vulnerable children

• Helped communities to rebuild and refurnish 10 primary school buildingsand build 38 new classrooms

• Facilitated scholarships for 115 children so they could go to secondary school.

For Plan, success almost always comes from a jointeffort combining the hard work and determination ofcommunities, children, volunteers, staff, and partnerorganisations. But the ongoing support of our sponsorsis a vital ingredient, too. It’s their generosity andcommitment that allows us to continue to help childrenin 49 of the poorest countries in the world.

So on behalf of the children and communities we work with, thank you to all our sponsors!

Plan UKReport on Plan programs in Albania for the year ended June 2007

CMR

Education, especially for girls, is vital to developingCameroon in the long term

p

Challenge and change in CameroonIt’s been an eventful year for Plan in Cameroon. We’re working to improve education,ensure the survival of infants, increase livelihoods and boost awareness andunderstanding of children’s rights. We’re also working to realise the rights of themarginalised Baka (Pygmy) people.

As part of our work to ensure the survival of children under the age of five, Plan hasbeen supporting Government efforts to boost immunisation rates and tacklechildhood illnesses. “Both aimed to significantly reduce infant and childhood mortalityattributable to malaria, malnutrition, acute respiratory tract infection, diarrhoea andHIV/AIDS,” says Country Director Amadou Bocoum.

What’s more, our contribution to activities commemorating the Day of theAfrican Child (16 June) was officiallyrecognised when the Governmentdesignated 14 June as Plan Cameroon Day.

In this Country Progress Report, weconcentrate on just one story from asmall village in Cameroon as an exampleof the kind of work we’re doing.

Cameroon country factsPopulation: 16.3 million

Capital: Yaounde

UN Human Development Indexranking: 144th (of 177 countries)

Life expectancy: 46 years

Infants with low birth weight: 13%

People without adequate sanitation: 49%

(Sources: the UN, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, UNICEF)

A Baka (Pygmy) woman addresses an awareness-raisingcommunity meeting

p

Country ProgressReport 2007

Cameroon

Admagic No:Bright No:

Client name:File name:

Date:Size:

Studio proof:

0407100647PLAN0407_Cameroon01.11.07210x443.5mm FOLD TO A55 Client proof: 3

Any enquiries please contact:Nick Burton. e: nick@bright-uk.comm: 07884 367567. d: 020 7620 8150

Size (Prod) Colours(Prod) Art (A/D) Copy (C/W) Content (Acc.)

146.5mm FLAP 148.5mm BACK 148.5mm FRONT