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News & press
July 22, 2026

“Nuevas Reglas” Donates More Than 8,000 Menstrual Hygiene Kits to Schools

The Nuevas Reglas (New Rules) project, developed by Plan International in collaboration with Kotex, strengthens menstrual hygiene in schools across Lima and Piura.

As part of its commitment to the right to dignified menstrual health, Plan International Peru, in partnership with Kimberly-Clark and its Kotex brand, distributed menstrual hygiene kits to schools in Lima and Piura through the Nuevas Reglas project. The initiative benefited more than 8,000 girls and adolescent students, from fourth grade through twelve grade.

The donated kits included sanitary pads, liquid soap, and toilet paper– essential supplies for ensuring proper hygiene and well-being in the school environment. According to members of the educational community, the initiative has had a significant impact.

“Thanks to this donation, students know they can turn to their teachers in case of any emergency This helps prevent school absenteeism and gives them greater peace of mind and confidence — "

Educational Institution principal in Villa El Salvador (Lima, peru)

said the principal of an educational institution in Villa El Salvador, a district where two out of every ten students miss school due to menstruation. She also emphasized that this intervention helps reduce the economic barriers some families face in obtaining menstrual hygiene products on a regular basis, a challenge that in some cases has led to school absences.

Stephania Lozano, the project’s coordinator, highlighted that the distribution of kits is part of a broader education and awareness-raising strategy:

"Ensuring access to menstrual hygiene products is a key measure for the well-being, health, and school retention of girls and adolescents. Through Nuevas Reglas, this initiative is complemented by educational processes aimed at breaking myths and promoting informed and dignified menstrual health."

Stephania Lozano: Project Coordinator (plan International Peru)

Milovan Bojovic, Kotex Brand Manager for the Andean Region, noted that:

“Periods are a natural part of life and should not become an obstacle for adolescent girls. At Kotex, we strive to support them with information and resources that enable them to manage their menstrual cycle with greater confidence and security.”

Milovan Bojovic: Kotex Brand Manager (Andean Region)

Through this initiative, Plan International Peru reaffirms its commitment to working alongside educational communities, local authorities, and social actors such as Kimberly-Clark to ensure that menstruation is not a cause of exclusion, but rather a topic addressed through information, respect, and shared responsibility.

A partnership that is creating real change

On any given day, more than 300 million women and girls around the world are menstruating. But far too many are left without the resources, support or safe spaces they need to manage their periods. Plan International is working with Kimberly-Clark and its Kotex® brand to ensure girls and young women have equal access to essential care on their journeys through puberty.

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Leadership
July 16, 2026

Leila Zak

Leila Zak is a student activist at Duke University from Hong Kong and Chicago, Illinois, majoring in Political Science and International Comparative Studies. She devotes her work and care to the advancement of (im)migrant rights, gender-equitable education, community-led peacebuilding and intersectional solidarity.

Leila is a leader at Flowers for the Future, an international initiative which provides education to young women in Afghanistan who are systematically denied it, in collaboration with a clandestine learning center in Kabul. On campus, she is the co-President of Beyond Borders, Duke’s advocacy organization for immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers. She coordinates action through community education, Know Your Rights workshops, collaborations with local and national nonprofits, storytelling and legislative advocacy. Leila has had the privilege of interpreting for legal appointments, operating Siembra NC’s hotline to provide support in cases of detention and wage theft, and leading advocacy and mutual aid efforts to support staff at Duke impacted by the termination of Temporary Protected Status.

Having grown up in Hong Kong, Leila is an advocate against authoritarianism and state violence in her hometown(s) and across the world. She speaks Cantonese, Spanish and Mandarin, while currently learning Persian.

Supported by Davis Projects for Peace, she is currently co-creating a long-term peacebuilding project in Caquetá, Colombia, collaborating with local leaders to translate bottom-up practices of collective resource management, memory preservation, and environmental peacebuilding into municipal educational infrastructure. Leila is passionate about countering the structural violences that produce silence, “illegality,” disappearance, and preventable death. She views writing, education, and human-centered policy as channels for memory and repair; her creative work has been honored by the Pulitzer Center.

Quote: “I’m grateful to represent the communities I care for and which nourish me through the Youth Advisory Board. Alongside such a lovely team, I’m excited to bring all of myself and the on-the-ground experiences I have into projects and advocacy with Plan for a more compassionate world.”

Leadership
July 16, 2026

Rachel (she/her)

Rachel (she/her) is a 16-year-old writer, advocate and community organizer from Southern California. She is the founder of HERA Foundation, a youth-led Title IX initiative that has equipped more than 2,000 students and families in underserved communities with the knowledge to advocate for their rights through Title IX education.

Rachel’s work lives at the intersection of global dialogue and grassroots action. As one of the youngest U.S. fellows in Plan International’s Global Young Influencers Group and Communications Director for UNA-LA, she helps translate international conversations on gender equity into tangible change within local communities. Whether drafting youth-informed policy proposals, shaping legislative advocacy in her spare time or writing poetry that explores girlhood and belonging, she is drawn to work that transforms ideas into institutions and stories into action.

She hopes to spend her life building systems that are as compassionate as they are enduring. Outside of advocacy, Rachel can usually be found getting lost in fantasy novels, wandering through museums, curating outfits to make ordinary days feel a little more beautiful or searching for the perfect Korean café to visit.

Quote: “Gender inequality is profoundly intimate. It lives in our homes, classrooms, workplaces, and expectations that shape our lives. So, I am honored to join the YAB where I will work alongside extraordinary young women to ensure gender equality is treated as an imperative.”

Statements
July 3, 2026

1,000 Days of war: Gaza’s children continue to pay the heaviest price

Today, July 3, marks 1,000 days since the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel and the ensuing escalation of war that has devastated lives across Gaza, West Bank and Israel.

The human cost has been catastrophic, with over 1,200 people killed in Israel during the October 7 attacks and more than 73,000 people reported killed in Gaza since the war began.

Despite the ceasefire announced in October 2025, children in Gaza and the West Bank continue to pay a heavy price.

According to a UN report citing Gaza’s Ministry of Health, over 173,000 people have been injured since October 2023. More than 21,000 children have been identified among those killed, underscoring the devastating toll the conflict has taken on young lives.

“Since the October ceasefire more than 1,000 people, including 265 children, are reported to have been killed. A ceasefire that cannot keep children alive is a failure,” said Dr Unni Krishnan, Plan International’s occupied Palestinian territory Country Director and Global Humanitarian Director.

He added: “Children should not be killed on their way to school, in their homes, or while trying to access food and aid. Yet for many children in Gaza, fear, loss and displacement remain a daily reality. They are still losing parents, they continue to live in tents through freezing winter conditions and harsh summer heat. There are no playgrounds and play materials.

“Children should be safe walking to school, not risking their lives. Just recently 16-year-old Raghad Ashour was killed while on her way to take an exam in Gaza City.

“More than 637,000 children remain cut off from learning, with 93% of schools destroyed or damaged. No new homes, schools or hospitals have been built since the announcement of the ceasefire.

“Their childhoods are still being stolen by violence. The world cannot accept this as normal. Children must be protected, the ceasefire must hold, and all parties must ensure unhindered humanitarian access and uphold their obligations under international law. What children in Gaza urgently need is safety, dignity and a real pathway to recovery. This means not only ending the violence, but investing in rebuilding Gaza, including its shattered educational and child protection support system, so children can recover and thrive.”

For the children of Gaza, 1,000 days is not just a number, it is almost three years shaped by conflict, displacement and a ceasefire that holds more on paper than in daily life. We must recognize the profound tragedy of loss that the children in Gaza are carrying. These scars will last a lifetime without sustained support.

Plan International’s partner in Gaza has been supporting Islam, a mother to five children. Before the escalation of the conflict, Islam lived in a home in northern Gaza with her husband, “My house was simple…but to me it felt like heaven” she says.

That life ended when the war erupted. In less than three years, Islam has been displaced twenty times. Her husband was killed. During one displacement, she said goodbye to her own mother, they fled in different directions, and Islam never saw her again.

Today, Islam is holding her family together, drawing on humanitarian assistance to support her five children. What keeps her going, she says, is watching them return to school: “I see their excellence returning, and I receive messages from teachers praising them and thanking me for supporting them. These messages give me strength and make me feel I managed to stand on my feet again despite everything.”

For a family to move twenty times in less than three years is not living, it is a desperate struggle for survival.

Despite the war and suffering, children dare to dream like Zuhair, 11, who wants to become an engineer “to rebuild the destroyed homes.”

Plan International continues to deliver life-saving assistance through trusted local partners inside Gaza, and West Bank and remains committed to principled humanitarian action for children and all civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Plan International calls on all involved parties to uphold their obligations under International Humanitarian Law and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. We call on the international community to use every means available to ensure sustained, predictable and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. Children and all civilians cannot wait.

For further information please contact: 

Juan Estrella, Emergency Communications Specialist, Plan International

Tel: +593 995 595 893

Email: [email protected]

About Plan International

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion, and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.  

Working together with children, young people, supporters, and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood, and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity, while particularly focusing on the experiences of girls. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels using our reach, experience, and knowledge.     

For over 85 years, we have worked to transform the lives of children in more than 80 countries. 

News & press
July 2, 2026

Young Survivors of Venezuela Quakes Run Shelters as Search Drags On

Following the two earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, thousands of families who lost their homes have moved into temporary shelters and collective site where children face specific risks that need urgent attention. Plan International is responding to the emergency alongside partner organizations and calls for the protection of children to be made a priority within humanitarian response. This article highlights the needs within Venezuela and quotes Plan staff member Geraldine Gomez.

Blog
June 23, 2026

How child sponsorship helped Anne heal and kept her dream alive

Discover how child sponsorship helped a 12-year-old girl in Benin recover from kidney failure and return to school with hope for the future.

Anne, a 12-year-old girl in Benin, survived kidney failure with support from Plan International’s child sponsorship program. Today, she is back in school and dreaming of becoming a doctor.

The day everything changed

When Anne woke up that morning, everything felt different. She didn’t feel like herself.

A bright student and natural leader, Anne loved going to school and spending time with her friends. She dreamed of one day becoming a doctor so she could help save lives. At her local children’s club, she encouraged others to stay positive and work hard, often leading by example.

But that morning, even getting out of bed felt impossible. Something was very wrong.

A life-threatening diagnosis

With growing worry, Anne’s mother took her daughter to a local health center. After two weeks without improvement, doctors diagnosed Anne with kidney failure. Her condition was serious and required urgent, specialized care.

"I couldn’t walk or even talk. I was very scared. But I never gave up hope."

Anne

Critical care and lifesaving support

Anne was transferred to the nearest hospital, where she received weeks of intensive care. The treatment saved her life. Anne’s recovery was made possible with support from Plan International’s child sponsorship program in Benin.

For four years, Anne has been a sponsored child. When she became critically ill, Plan helped ensure she could access lifesaving care. Support included:

Coverage of her hospital costs.
Daily meals for Anne and her family.
Ongoing emotional and psychosocial support.

This support eased the financial burden on her family and made it possible for Anne to focus on healing.

A return to school and renewed hope

As Anne regained her strength, she was finally able to return home. Her community gathered to welcome her, with members of her children’s club singing and dancing to celebrate her recovery.

“We prayed for her every Wednesday,” her friend Clementine said. “When we saw her again, we shouted with joy.” Another friend added, “Anne inspires us. She shows us we should never give up.”

A future filled with possibility

Today, Anne is healthy and back in school. She spends her days learning, playing with friends and thinking about what comes next. Her experience has strengthened her determination to achieve her goals. She remains focused on her dream of becoming a doctor and helping others in need.

“I can smile again. Thank you to Plan International and my sponsor for never giving up on me."

Anne

The impact of child sponsorship

Child sponsorship helps children like Anne access health care, stay in school and feel supported during times of crisis. Anne’s story shows how sponsors like you can make a lasting difference — especially when families face unexpected challenges.

Page
June 16, 2026

Vanity URL Requests: 2026

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Insights
June 11, 2026

Insights: The girls most programs miss and how to find them

Charlotte Yvette P. Chishava, SAGE Program Manager, wrote this article. To learn more about Plan’s work, get in touch: [email protected]

In global education, girls who aren’t able to access education isn’t a hypothetical. They’re the 14-year-old new mother. The sibling-caregiver. The child with a disability. The girl displaced in a village where no one speaks her language. These are the real out-of-school girls, and they are systematically being overlooked.

Too often, education programs assume that inclusion means offering the same solution to everyone. In many programs, girls aren’t just underrepresented, they’re structurally excluded. And when they are included, it’s often through a single pathway: formal school re-entry. But what if traditional school isn’t where she needs to go? Or what if the system itself — rigid, age-bound or language-exclusive — is part of what pushed her out?

A different approach: Meeting girls where they are

The Supporting Adolescent Girls’ Education program, known as SAGE, in Zimbabwe was designed around a different question: What does success look like for her, today?

Rather than treat ‘marginalized girls’ as a fixed label, SAGE treats it as a lived condition shaped by age, gender, disability, motherhood, religion, labor and language. Sometimes these identities overlapped. And when they did, the barriers to participation multiplied.

To respond, SAGE created four flexible, girl-led transition pathways:

Re-entry into formal education for girls who the right choice is returning to school.
Informal or community-based learning for those who needed different environments or timing.
Skills training for self-employment through the Improved Skills for Out-of-School Girls Program and technical vocational education training, combining it with life skills and grants access through banking institutions.
Fairly paid employment for girls needing immediate income.

This approach didn’t prescribe a single solution. It created multiple, flexible entry points.

“What sets SAGE apart is that it doesn’t treat marginalization as a concept, It treats it as a lived reality, something that requires multiple entry points, not one path.

Tsungai Mahumucha: Technical Expert at SAGE

The impact: what happened when girls had real options

According to the program’s independent endline evaluation:

More than 70% of learners demonstrated at least Grade 5 levels in literacy and numeracy.
The average learner improved by three to four grade levels during the program.
Girls who began with the lowest scores showed the greatest gains.
67% of participants, or 12,839 of 19,102, transitioned into education, skills training or income-generating opportunities.
86% of girls found vocational training the most valuable part.
55% reported increased income after completing the vocational pathway.
8% or 1,528 have returned to traditional school settings.
5% of followed girls are now employed.
8% of followed girls had started own small businesses.

These outcomes weren’t limited to academics. They reflected new agency, new options and new confidence, especially for girls who had never seen themselves as students in the first place.

“Before SAGE, I thought it was too late. I had a child, I had no education. Now, I am running my own tailoring business. I teach my younger sister what I’ve learned.”

SAGE Program Participant

Lessons for the wider sector

SAGE offers insights that go beyond Zimbabwe, especially as global learning poverty rises and humanitarian crises displace more girls from education systems.

Programs must design for multiple success pathways, not just one.
We must measure progress beyond test scores, including income, agency and social participation.
Wraparound support matters, from norm-shifting dialogues to mental health services.
Most importantly, we must co-create programs with girls, not for them, and treat their lived experience as a form of technical expertise.

Too often, education programs are built around what’s scalable or a single solution instead of what’s equitable. But for the most out of school girls, real change doesn’t come from scaling up. It comes from showing up differently.

To truly reach them, we must start with where they are, not where we wish they were.

Beyond buzzwords

Let’s stop designing for the “typical girl” and start designing for the girl who’s been made invisible.

She’s still out there, navigating the margins, waiting for a pathway that fits her reality. Programs like SAGE show it’s not too late. We just have to ask better questions and build pathways that reflect real lives.

Who are the girls your programs might be missing, and what would it take to truly reach them?

Note: Quotes and findings are drawn from Plan International’s independent endline evaluation of the SAGE Zimbabwe program.

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