By Chabu Kapota | Communications Assistant
With your support and local fundraisers, Undikumbukire Project Zambia (UP Zambia) managed to give legal support, legal representation and social support to children, families and migrants in the first quarter of 2023.
Social Support
During the first quarter of the year 2023 the UP Zambia Social Support team helped 108 children and 21 families with individual and family counselling to help children reintegrate in to communities.
This quarter our team worked with Fred* and his family. Through family counselling with our team, it was identified that Fred was struggling with drug use. As a result of the sessions, Fred’s guardians decided to support Fred to enter a rehabilitation center which UP Zambia had recommended and he is now receiving treatment for his dug use problem.
Legal Assistance
The UP Zambia legal team provided legal assistance to over 70 children who came through the Lusaka child justice system in the first quarter.UP Zambia Staff Attorneys provided free legal representation to 32 children who had trials the Juvenile Courts and Childrens’ Court.
UP Zambia made a big impact by mitigating cases for the children to find the best solution that the courts could order for the children to be given an opportunity to reform and not be given custodial order.
One of the cases represented was Kennedy*, a child migrant, who was in custody for 10 months while undergoing trial and did not have proper immigration documentation. UP Zambia advocated on the child’s behalf and the court issued an order allowing him to return to his home country.
The UP Zambia Legal team made an application in the Children’s Court, arguing children are eligible for bail no matter what offense they have been charged with. This argument was based on the Children’s Code Act which was enacted in 2022. The court agreed with UP Zambia’s argument and made a landmark ruling, interpreting the new law to allow all children to have access to bail and cannot be refused bail solely based on the offense for which they are facing trial.
Assistance to child migrants
UP Zambia has a special team that deals with children and adult migrants.
The Anti-Human Trafficking and Migration team has provided assistance to 245 children and adult migrants in Q1. The team has been providing migrants with information on immigration laws in Zambia, including what kind of documentation they need when moving from their country to another and how to seek asylum. We regularly conduct rapid assessments of children who have been detained by Immigraiton and provide information to the Best Intereste Panel at Social Welfare for any children who may be vicitms of human trafficking.
We thank you all for your support in making this program possible through your financial support.
*Pseudonym name used to protect the identity of the children
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