Slumdog Millionaire star is Plan's new ambassador
It says so much about the international children’s charity, Plan, that it attracts so many celebrities who are prepared, not only to endorse what the organisation is doing, but also to play a pro-active role in helping with its aims.
The latest well-known figure to join the cause is Freida Pinto,
star of Slumdog Millionaire (2008) and Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). She is Plan’s newest “Because I am a Girl” Global Ambassador. Although the charity has always helped both boys and girls across the globe on an equal basis, The Because I am a Girl campaign is designed to focus on the particular problems of young girls growing up in developing countries. It is already supporting girls in completing their education and fulfilling their potential. It also creates sustainable projects in developing countries to give girls access to clean water, food, healthcare, education, and protection from forced marriage, violence and exploitation.
“I have always been a true believer in the power of every individual, especially every girl. Last month, I had the amazing opportunity to travel with Plan to Sierra Leone and see at first hand how investing in a girl transforms an entire community,” says Ms. Pinto. “The treacherous web of barriers girls face worldwide is endless. But if we educate and empower girls, they will reach their fullest potential, pulling themselves and their families out of poverty.”
Girls in developing countries face overwhelming odds from the moment they are born. They are more likely than boys to suffer from malnutrition; be subject to violence; be forced into early marriage; be trafficked, sold, or coerced into the sex trade; or become infected with HIV. Often denied access to education and healthcare, girls languish behind their male counterparts.
Plan, in partnership with ambassadors like Freida Pinto, is working to change the lives of girls and their families around the world. By 2015, Because I am a Girl will reach:
4 million girls directly through girl-focused work40 million girls and boys through gender equality education and transformative projects, and400 million girls through working with country governments to ensure equal access to education, healthcare, and opportunity.
"I am truly inspired by the determination and courage of the girls I’ve met. I’m so excited to be working with Plan International to bring about real change for these for girls and their families,” says Ms. Pinto. “When you invest in a girl, you really can change the world.”
