AFTER battling breast cancer, Newport woman Monique Senior is cycling from Vietnam to Cambodia to help stop forced child marriage and change girls’ lives in some of the world’s poorest countries.
The 12-day trip in March involves cycling through Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region and then into Cambodia, including eight days of riding more than 450 kilometres.
The Cycle for Girls challenge is part of development organisation Plan’s ‘Because I am a Girl’ campaign.
Ms Senior aims to raise $5000.
“This is a particular campaign about girls and trying to empower them to not get trapped in poverty, which can mean ending up in an early child marriage and everything that entails for them,” she said.
‘Because I am a Girl’ is Plan’s campaign particularly targeting education and trying to stop girls getting married off as young children, instead keeping them in school.
Worldwide, Plan aims to help 75 million girls who are receiving no education and the 10 million teenagers and children being sold or forced into marriage.
“I’ve sponsored children with Plan for many years and I do feel they make a difference,” Ms Senior said.
“Also, last year I had breast cancer. Last year was mainly about having treatment for cancer and physically I’m back where I was before.
“Also, I had a baby, so I had a one-year-old and was having cancer treatment.
“I’ve sort of got back to where I was, so physically I know I can take on the training and the challenge.”
To get behind Ms Senior, go to quinty.me.
