Cycle for Plan: Providing refuge and shelter to girls at risk of child marriage SUMMARY 
The overall aim of this project is to reduce the number of child marriages and teenage pregnancies through building shelters to vulnerable girls who are at risk of child marriage. This project is implemented by Plan International Zambia, in collaboration with the Zambian Ministry of Community Development, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education. The project runs from 15-1-2017 to 31-12-2020. It is implemented in Chadiza and Petauke in the Eastern Province of Zambia. Chadiza is very remote and has a high prevalence of early marriage and teenage pregnancy mainly associated with the cultural practices. Petauke has had high numbers of teenage pregnancies, which have been attested by one of the Senior Chiefs in the districts. The overall aim of this project is to contribute to the reduction of Child Marriage and teenage pregnancies through the provision of shelters to the vulnerable girls who are at risk of Child Marriage. Child marriage, a formal or informal union where one or both partners is under the age of 18, affects nearly 70 million girls in the world. About seven million child brides live in East and Southern Africa. In Zambia, 45% of women aged 29 – 45 reported being married before the age of 18, one of the highest rates in the region. In Plan international’s implementation of programmes against child marriage, we have realized that young girls do not have where to seek refuge and shelter if they refuse to get into child and forced marriages. Also, already married girls who would like to come out of their child marriages fear not having any other alternative. It is against this background that the project is constructing shelters to provide a safety zone for the girls who face challenges of Child, Early and Forced Marriage. The shelters will also offer shelter to girls who suffer from any other forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the communities.

This project will be implemented by Plan Zambia, in collaboration with the Zambian Ministry of Community Development, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education. The project runs from 15-1-2017 t0 31-12-2020.  It is implemented  in Chadiza and Petauke in the Eastern Province of Zambia  Chadiza is very remote and has a high prevalence of early marriage and teenage pregnancy mainly associated with the cultural practices. Petauke has had high numbers of teenage pregnancies, which have been attested by one of the Senior Chiefs in the districts. The funding deriving from the cycle for Plan 2017 events will be used to construct in total 2 shelters, a kitchen and latrines for girls at risk in each of the project districts (Chadiza and Petauke). Also, matrons will be supported to ensure girls will have adult supervision to ensure their safety. These activities are placed within the broader Yes I Do project that amongst others addresses root causes of this problem such as gender inequality. In order to guarantee sustainability of the project, Plan Zambia will include board community members and the Government of the Republic of Zambia in these activities In July 2017 2 Cycle for Plan events took place in Zambia in which Dutch sponsor participants cycle from Lusaka to Eastern Province where the Yes I Do project is located. 
Cycle for Plan is a ground breaking cycle adventure that tends to change lives of both participants from The Netherlands as well as the funding beneficiaries in Zambia. The participants are not only participating in a sportive challenge, but also supporting Plan The Netherlands raising funds for this project. Each participant collects at least €4.000,-. During this cycling event the participants visited several projects of Plan on their route e way, met their sponsor child and saw the difference their contribution makes.
The Yes I Do project in Zambia is mainly focusing on empowerment of girls and awareness raising of key stakeholders to advocate for equal changes for girls and boys and providing youth with information about their sexual and reproductive rights (SRHR) and access to SRH services. The funds raise are used by Plan Zambia to buildsafe shelters for underage girls at risk of being married of and those seeking to escape earliy marriege but have no alternative. The target beneficiaries in Zambia will be adolescent girls from 10 – 19 years in the Yes I Do communities in Petauke and Chadiza district in eastern province, Zambia. The construction of the girl’s dormitories will create a total of 120 bed spaces.  
Kitchen  and VIP toilettes will be constructed 
Kitchen utensils and dormitory furniture and materials purchased.
2 waterboareholes will be cinstructed, one at each location.
2 solar energy installation, one at each site. 
One shelter will be built in one of the YID project areas and will house 15 girls. Both shelters will accommodate at least 30 girls for a period of 24 months. Girls staying in the shelters will be in the care of a matron and supported to go uptake/continue their education. Plan Zambia will work with the Government's Social Welfare department to safeguard the sustainability aspect of these shelters. As the project will be incorporated in the Yes I Do project and implemented in close collaboration with the local government, the dshelters will be handed over at the end of the project to the government and school management. Additionally, the communities of the YID will be trained in income generating activities to make the maintenance of the buildings and salaries of the matrons possible after the project is finished.