LACT Partners
Plan International UK
About the partner
Who they are
Plan International UK is a global children’s charity working to advance children’s rights and equality for girls. Through long-term, locally driven programmes, they support children and young people to learn, lead, decide and thrive.
Overview of our partnership
Our partnership
The LACT Programme has partnered with Plan International UK since 2016, working together to support children and young people across Latin America to grow up safe, informed and empowered. Over the years, this collaboration has developed into a strong, locally rooted partnership that connects community-led action with wider systems change.
Together, we have supported multiple initiatives that strengthen young people’s rights, leadership and access to opportunities, particularly for girls and young women facing inequality and exclusion. We are proud of the depth of this work and the way it brings together communities, local authorities and service providers to create lasting change.
Active projects
What we are working on together
Promoting the health and rights of young people in Manabí, Ecuador
This programme works across 14 rural communities to strengthen young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, while addressing the root causes of early pregnancy and gender-based violence. Through youth clubs, young people build knowledge, confidence and life skills in safe spaces, while also engaging in advocacy and awareness-raising in their communities.
The initiative also works closely with parents, caregivers and local institutions to strengthen protection systems and improve access to youth-friendly services. By combining community engagement with institutional collaboration, the programme is helping create safer environments where young people can make informed decisions about their lives.
Building for the future with young women in Bolivia
This programme supports indigenous adolescent girls and young women in Betanzos to strengthen their leadership, develop entrepreneurial skills and access economic opportunities. Through training, mentoring and seed funding, participants are supported to build sustainable livelihoods while challenging the social norms that limit their participation.
Working closely with local authorities and community actors, the programme has established strong collaborative structures that support long-term impact. Young people are also engaging in advocacy and community initiatives, strengthening their role as leaders and agents of change in their communities.
Local partners
Local partners leading the work on the ground
PRODECO (Proyecto de Desarrollo Comunitario, Bolivia)
Non-profit organisation that has worked since 1994 to support the social, cultural and economic development of indigenous and rural communities. With a strong rights-based and intercultural approach, PRODECO works alongside communities to strengthen local capacities and promote development processes shaped from within.
Read transcript
Close transcript
[Opening title]
The project “Promoting Health and Youth Rights in Manabí, Ecuador”, led by Plan International with support from the Latin American Children’s Trust (LACT) programme.
[Speaker]
For three years, we worked to make a real difference in the lives of nearly 2,000 young people in the cantons of Portoviejo and Rocafuerte.
[Voice-over]
The project aims to help reduce early marriage, unintended teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence in rural communities across Manabí.
It creates health clubs where girls and boys can get informed, express themselves and become empowered, actively involving families, caregivers and community leaders, and strengthening local protection mechanisms so that every young person can grow up in a safer, fairer environment.
[Young person]
The club has also helped me express myself much better at school, without feeling ashamed.
Being part of the club allows me to be myself, without fear of being judged, and to gain new knowledge.
[Voice-over]
The results speak for themselves. A total of 1,927 young people between the ages of 10 and 19 have participated directly, including 1,456 girls and young women.
Additionally, 987 adults, including parents, caregivers, community members and officials, joined the movement for change.
[Health professional]
We’re grateful for the support from Plan International through this project, which has strengthened us as health professionals through training sessions that were incorporated into talks and interactive activities with adolescents, who are the main beneficiaries of this initiative.
[Voice-over]
Adolescents now have a better understanding of their sexual and reproductive rights. They’ve become active voices, advocating for their rights at the local, provincial and national levels.
[Young person]
The club helps me express myself clearly and speak in public without feeling ashamed. It has helped me a lot because I’ve learned so much about rights, sexuality and things I’ve been able to share with my classmates.
If someone asks for advice on a topic that was explained to me here, I can help them.
[Voice-over]
Families and communities are taking action to protect and promote youth wellbeing.
[Closing visuals and music]
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