Plantation Communities Project: results

• 240 basic rights volunteers have helped more than 10,000 plantation residents obtain birth certificates or national identity cards since 2000. As a result, school enrolment among children has gone up, residents enjoy greater personal security, and many workers are exercising their voting rights for the first time.
• hundreds of local youth have completed vocational training and secured good jobs working in the local welding, construction, hotel and garment industries
• dozens of entrepreneurs have improved their businesses and increased their income.
• newly formed associations are helping farmers access government services and enjoy the benefits of group marketing, bulk purchasing and access to government loans
• reduced ethnic tensions between plantations and nearby villages and greater recognition of the importance of mutual peace and understanding
• over 50 worker cooperatives have been strengthened to work with management to improve life on the plantations through measures like the provision of banking services, improved housing, and income-generating activities in support of community initiatives.
• over 80 women's groups are implementing community initiatives on gender inequality, violence against women, and improved access to health services and clean water
• on 14 estates, gender awareness programs have been implemented for estate managers and supervisors, medical staff, teachers, union leaders and others, leading to more girls and women participating and taking leadership roles in community and workplace activities.
• over 50 Occupational Health and Safety groups have been created to help improve working conditions and modernize the plantations in response to the higher standards required by overseas customers
• rates of domestic violence have gone down while rates of participation in child care and household activities by men and boys have gone up