UP Zambia:Free Legal & Social Support for Children

With your financial support and additional funding sources, from January to June 2023, UP Zambia provided free legal services to 215 children appearing in court proceedings in Lusaka. Among those children, 38 were assisted with bail applications and 37 had the cases against them withdrawn.

UP Zambia has been working tirelessly on children’s cases from January to June 2023 while utilizing the Children’s Code Act. We have partnered with various stakeholders, written letters, and presented these cases in child justice forums and initiatives.

With your financial support, additional funding sources, UP Zambia and our stakeholders; 5 children who have waited for over 2 years have finally appeared before the Children’s Court, were released from prison, and reunited with their families.

The Children’s Code Act has been impactful in our work and has assisted us in mitigating the best solutions for the children’s cases.

UP Zambia’s aim is to protect the rights of Zambian children who are in conflict with the law, strengthen the child justice system, and harmonize the applications of procedures that apply to children.

These are the number of children UP Zambia has provided free legal services with your financial support and our additional funding sources from January to June 2023:

• Children provided with legal services – 215
• Children released on bail – 38
• Cases withdrawn – 17
• Cases discharged – 20

As we continue to advocate for imprisoned children, our main concern is to shorten the time children spend in correctional facilities while waiting for their court cases. UP Zambia will continue to engage with various stakeholders in the child justice system to find solutions that are in the children's best interest.

We thank you all for the support you have given to this programme through you’re your financial support.