Sport, Art and Therapy for 50 children in Zambia

Through the 2023 project's efforts such as group counselling, art lessons, and sports; Musonda a 20-year-old boy found a new purpose and direction in life. His story shows how impactful well-designed programs such as the Shield project can have on individuals facing challenges like addiction.

Musonda’s journey began with reluctance, but curiosity led him to attend a group counselling session. This initial experience opened his eyes to the possibilities of recovery through enjoyable and meaningful activities such as football. Encouraged by his positive experience with football, he sought individual counselling with an UP Zambia psychologist.

As he actively participated in the various activities offered by the project, he found solace, support, and a sense of belonging within the community. Engaging in daily activities kept him occupied and motivated, leading to a significant milestone: he managed to abstain from alcohol for six weeks, marking a considerable achievement in his recovery journey.

Musonda’s story demonstrates the effectiveness of the Shield pilot project but also showcases the resilience and potential for positive change within individuals when given the right support and opportunities. It serves as an inspiring example of how interventions such as counselling, football and art can empower individuals to overcome their struggles and build a brighter, healthier future.

The Sheild pilot project was facilitated by the Social Support team in Katombora Reformatory School and Nakambala Approved School to prevent relapse into a cycle of crime among teenagers.

In the 2^nd half of the year the pilot project focused on addressing sexual violence among boys and girls in detention facilities. UP Zambia’s Social Support assessments revealed severe mental health challenges, including substance abuse and addiction, among the children at Katombora Reformatory School and Nakambala Approved School. Many of these children were not receptive to learning about the impact of sexual violence due to their constant state of intoxication.

However, through our interventions such as the provision of sports and arts programming for children we found it to be extremely successful when paired with group counselling and psychotherapy sessions.

This has inspired our next Mentorship Program for teens in Lusaka Remand Correctional Facility. This year the program will be Implemented over a period of 12 weeks from 1^st March 2024 to 30^th May 2024.

This program will benefit 150 boys between the ages of 12 and 19 years from Lusaka Remand and will include children convicted and those awaiting trial. We will focus on the facility because they have not previously received this kind of intervention.

During the Mentorship program, individual therapy sessions through Motivational Interviewing (Client Centred Therapy), along with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) will be used. Clients will be given responsibility for making positive changes in their lives. Both CBT and Motivational Interviewing have been chosen as key approaches due to the sensitive nature of the challenges which child offenders face. Interviewing skills such as empathy, active listening, non-judgemental attitude, understanding and trustworthiness will be applied.

Each child will participate in a weekly sports and arts program for 6 weeks, to encourage and motivate the boys, foster attitude change, support group and individual therapy sessions, build resilience, provide mentorship, and create positive behavioural patterns.

Your continued financial support will enable us to extend our assistance to more children, nurturing them as future leaders.

We express gratitude for the invaluable financial support received in 2023, which has empowered children to access legal services and reintegrate into communities through social services.