Duration: 2022 – 2026
Donor: Act UBUMBANO

Since 2022, ACT Ubumbano has supported ULEMU through a series of projects aimed at preventing gender-based violence, strengthening community protection mechanisms, and promoting greater awareness of rights and available support services.
The collaboration began with activities focused on strengthening the capacity of local referral figures. In 2022, ULEMU organized a three-day workshop bringing together police officers, traditional healers and religious leaders from Kanyama. The training covered gender-based
violence, child protection, sexual and reproductive health and rights, human rights, reporting procedures and Zambian law, while also strengthening links between these community actors and ULEMU’s One Stop Centre.

In subsequent projects, the collaboration expanded into community-based awareness and communication activities. ULEMU carried out community sensitization and outreach, shared testimonies and information on GBV through social media and radio, and developed
communication materials aimed at challenging harmful beliefs, promoting gender equality and encouraging survivors and community members to seek support and report violence.

In 2025–2026, the partnership further expanded to address the role of men and boys in preventing gender-based violence through the Men to Men Advocacy Against Gender-Based Violence project.
The initiative trained male community members, including local leaders and youth representatives, on gender equality, positive masculinity, non-violent conflict resolution, healthy relationships and responsible fatherhood. The trained male champions subsequently conducted peer-to-peer sensitization activities across Kanyama, engaging 254 men in discussions on parenting, family relationships, conflict management and violence prevention. The project also used murals in strategic locations across the compound to keep messages on respect, gender equality and violence prevention visible within the community.

Across these years, ACT Ubumbano’s support has allowed ULEMU to progressively expand its approach, moving from strengthening local referral networks to broader community awareness and communication, and increasingly involving men and boys as active participants in the prevention of gender-based violence.