Country Profile: Zambia
Total Population: 18.3 million
Total Children under the age of 18: 5.7 million
Estimated number of orphans: 950,000
The Challenges:
According to a Violence Against Children Study (2018):
- Half of females and males experienced at least one type of violence in their childhood.
- Corporal punishment practices are high in Zambia, and violence in schools has been widely recognized as a concern.
- Among young people aged 18-24 years, 20% of women and 10% of men reported experiencing sexual violence before they were 18 years of age. At the same time, 34 percent of women and 40 percent of men reported experiencing physical violence.
- At the time of the report, 6,413 children were living in childcare facilities, highlighting the need for a family-based alternative care system that would allow children to grow up within a loving family.
- An estimated 1.3 million children aged 5-14 years are engaged in child labor.
- Despite being compulsory in Zambia, birth registration continues to be low, with only 11 percent of children under the age of 5 being registered, with 4 percent having birth certificates.
- Child marriage remains an ongoing problem.
- Over 1000 children are being detained in prisons and police cells, at times incarcerated with adults, often for minor offenses and prolonged periods.
Zambia World Without Orphans:
Zambia Without Orphans is a faith-based National Movement of Christ-followers drawn from all around the country whose goal is to help vulnerable children REMAIN IN or GAIN a loving and safe family. In oneness with other Christians worldwide, ZWO is rising to answer the Biblical call to respond to the needs of orphans and vulnerable children separated from parental and kinship care or being exposed to violence.
Zambia Without Orphans works on:
- Collaboration with the church and other relevant stakeholders to ensure non-duplication in services, sustainability, and the most significant reach and positive impact on children.
- Education and training: equipping the church and community with family strengthening, trauma, child abuse, and non-violent/positive parenting skills.
- Advocacy & Lobbying: influencing mindsets, social norms, and attitudes about the importance of children living in the family rather than childcare facilities. Lobbying for the reintegration of children with biological families where it is safe to do so. Promotion of fair legal adoption processes for Zambians and the implementation and enforcement of laws that prevent child abuse.
- Empowerment: Churches and communities are engaged in an approach that enables them to take ownership of the children and families in their communities, to see the role they can play in identifying solutions to the plight of their members who are threatened with family separation.
- Prevention: Creating SAFE families, streets, communities, churches, schools, families, digital and other environments where children can thrive. Encourage organizations impacting children to have safe child policies in place to ensure children are protected from harm.
- Economic strengthening: parent and caregiver support and income to prevent family separation, abuse, and breakdown.
- We are recruiting families: for alternative family-based care.
- Emotional and Spiritual Wellbeing: Creating healing and refreshing environments whereby members can live refreshed, avoid burn-out and serve people from a place of abundance.
Other Information about Orphaned and Vulnerable Children and Family Care in Zambia
Better Care Network Information on Family-Based Care in Zambia
More information for prayer at Operation World
"Source: UNICEF, Humanium, SOS Children's Villages International".