We support Zimbabwe together with Stiftung Hilfe mit Plan and Plan International specifically young girls and women to prevent child marriage and strengthen their rights.
We strengthen the rights of girls:
- with youth clubs at all project schools, which are based on the „Champions of Change“ model developed by Plan International: Girls learn how to confidently stand up for their rights and utilise educational opportunities.
- Boys learn how they can actively campaign for gender equality.
- with annual events on topics such as equal rights, the importance of education - especially for girls - and the negative consequences of child marriage.
In total, we reach around 1,800 members of the community with these events.
In regular meetings with traditional and religious authorities, we talk about social and cultural norms that favour child marriage. In this way, we want to ensure that the community authorities are more committed to upholding the rights of children and women.
Dormitories for girls are built
Many schoolchildren in Zimbabwe in the regions of Chipinge and Mutare have to walk several kilometres to school and consequently spend the night in simple, unsupervised accommodation near the schools. This is known as “bush boarding”. To counteract this, we are building one girls’ dormitory at each of four secondary schools. Each dormitory can accommodate 45 girls, and the buildings are equipped with seven bedrooms and at least six beds each. The beds have mattresses, pillows and bed linen; in addition, the dormitories will provide a reading room with tables, chairs and electric light. This is an absolute rarity, allowing the girls to read and study even after dark. The kitchens of the dormitories will be built outside the main buildings.
Further measures to strengthen the rights of young girls and women:
- Access to quality education and vocational training
- Careers advice and mentoring programme
- Training on sexual and reproductive rights
- Involving parents in educational work and nutrition programmes
- Implementation of psychosocial first aid measures as well as training and sensitisation campaigns on child protection and the sexual and reproductive rights of girls and boys for teachers and community members
- Income-generating measures for families
The marriage contract between adult men and young girls is often a “solution” for poor families in Zimbabwe who do not have the means to care for their children or finance their education.
One of our programmes is therefore aimed specifically at female caregivers and parents of children who are at risk of child marriage, as well as at children who have left or fled a child marriage. In a 3-day training course, the 150 participants learn about child protection, inclusion and how they can join savings groups in order to continue financing their children’s education.
To sustainably strengthen families as well, so that they can continue to finance their children’s education after the end of the project, we support them with economic measures on the ground. Under the guidance of community facilitators, income opportunities of their choice are identified, planned and implemented. To generate income, they receive support with start-up materials or skills development. The families commit to using the income earned to support their children’s education and basic needs, menstrual products (for girls) and nutritional needs. 20 families from Mutare and Mutasa participate in this programme.
We also want to reach people who have not attended school. As part of the project, 35 girls and 15 boys learn basic skills in phone repair and electrical work, as well as motorcycle and car mechanics. The training is conducted with a certified training company locally. At the end of the training, the 50 participants are also provided with a basic toolkit. The young adults can use the skills they have acquired to generate income and improve their living conditions (and those of their children).
In another project, adolescents who are particularly at risk of child marriage or are already married also receive agricultural training. The 18 girls and 12 boys gain practical experience in vegetable cultivation for 2 months before they can put their knowledge into practice themselves with starter equipment.
Drawing on our experience with the fish ponds already successfully established and the other income-generating projects of recent years in Zimbabwe, we look positively toward the coming project years. We are very pleased to reach so many people together with Plan and to continue contributing our know-how in income-generating measures there.
Would you like to support the project in Zimbabwe too?
