ULEMU – No One Excluded was established in May 2021 as the result of a long-term commitment to addressing gender-based violence and protecting vulnerable children in Zambia. Its roots trace back to April 2018, when the Stop the Violence project, conceived and coordinated by Elena Arvati, began operating in Kanyama Compound, the largest and one of the most underserved informal settlements in Lusaka, home to more than 900,000 people.
For several years, the Stop the Violence team worked directly with survivors of gender-based violence and children who had experienced physical and sexual abuse. This field experience enabled the team to develop specialized expertise while building strong relationships within the community and collaborating closely with key local institutions, including the Zambia Police Service, social welfare departments, and the Ministry of Health.
To ensure continuity, strengthen its impact, and provide a formal structure for these efforts, ULEMU was founded as a local non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting protection, inclusion, and access to essential services for vulnerable populations. Initially operating from a small facility in Kanyama that served as a One Stop Center for survivors of violence and vulnerable children, ULEMU quickly became a trusted point of reference for the community through its professionalism, commitment, and collaborative approach.
Since 2019, ULEMU has managed the One Stop Center within Kanyama General Hospital, providing integrated support services including medical care, psychosocial counselling, legal assistance, child protection interventions, and emergency response. Over time, the organization expanded its work beyond direct case management to include prevention campaigns, legal literacy initiatives, disability inclusion programs, community awareness activities, psychosocial support services, and protection pathways for vulnerable children.
A significant milestone was reached in 2023 with the opening of Cherished Home, a safe shelter dedicated to girls who have experienced violence, abuse, neglect, trafficking, and other forms of severe vulnerability. The shelter strengthened ULEMU's child protection response and has become an important resource for the Department of Social Welfare and other protection stakeholders across Lusaka.
Throughout its growth, ULEMU has developed a multidisciplinary intervention model based on close collaboration between healthcare providers, social services, law enforcement agencies, schools, communities, and international partners. This integrated approach ensures that survivors of violence receive coordinated support tailored to their individual needs.
Today, ULEMU is a well-established organization with a multidisciplinary team of counsellors, psychotherapists, paralegals, social workers, educators, and community volunteers working across a range of projects focused on protection, psychosocial support, inclusion, and community development. Beyond responding to emergencies, the organization plays a key role in strengthening prevention mechanisms, promoting community awareness, and contributing to long-term social change aimed at building safer and more inclusive communities.