Rembang District
Area: 1010.sq. km.Population: 602.123 (2007)
Administration: 14 sub districts, 287 villages
Sponsored children: 7.500 (2009)
Rembang is in Central Java Province. It has coastal areas, low and high land and mountainous areas. Most of the people live from farming. Estimated annual income in Rembang is
Rp 6.million per person ($600)
Since 2004, Plan has been working with Rembang’s children, their families and their communities to improve the quality of children’s lives and to create an environment conducive to their growth and development. Plan hopes to support the widespread creation of child-friendly villages by the end of its period of service in Rembang.
Program Highlights
Health
Plan is revitalizing village health posts and has trained 250 health volunteers, and set up 29 young people’s centers for reproductive health at the village level. At school, students are trained and encouraged to live healthily; 64 of them are now peer trainers. At the community level, Plan is providing clean water through well drilling and piping in 30 villages.
Education
In partnership with schools and school committees Plan has set up 38 safe and comfortable classrooms, complete with child-friendly furniture, and is promoting the “joyful learning” system of teaching.
Plan has helped enhance the participation of children under five in early childhood education centers, and their parents are being trained in child-rearing skills and food preparation. 23 pre-schools have been equipped with more teaching and learning aids. Plan also organizes functional education for illiterate people, mostly women.
Sustainable Livelihoods
Plan is helping families improve their incomes through organic farming practices and home industries such as food and furniture making, using local raw materials
Child Protection and Participation
Plan has given widespread training on the UN children’s rights convention and child protection law, and is implementing a ‘learn without fear’ campaign at school. With Plan’s support, the district now has a free birth certificate system and the district head has decreed that the district and its villages should be child friendly. In July 2009, the district declared 30 of its villages (all Plan assisted) to be child-friendly villages.
