Impact Stories

Chanda (name changed) was 14 years old when police officers found him taking food from a market stall in Ndola's Chifubu area. He had not eaten in two days. His single mother had lost her job three weeks earlier and the family had exhausted their resources.

Under the old system, Chanda would have been charged, prosecuted in court, and potentially held in a correctional facility alongside older offenders. Instead, the Ndola Local Child Justice Forum's diversion protocol was activated.

Chanda was assessed by a Social Welfare Officer who immediately identified the family's crisis situation. His case was diverted from prosecution. The LCJF connected the family with emergency food support and enrolled Chanda in a six-month carpentry skills programme run by a CJF partner organisation.

Eighteen months later, Chanda completed the programme and began taking on small carpentry jobs. His mother found part-time work. He has had no further contact with the justice system.

Natasha (name changed) was 16 when she was charged with assault after an altercation in the neighbourhood where she lived. What the initial police report did not capture was that Natasha had been subject to sustained verbal and physical abuse at home and the incident was directly related to that situation.

Under Zambia's Child Friendly Courts programme, implemented through the CJF, Natasha appeared before a specially trained magistrate in a modified courtroom — private, less intimidating, with a social welfare officer present alongside her Legal Aid lawyer.

The magistrate, following the child-friendly procedure, adjourned the case to allow for a full social welfare assessment. The assessment revealed the domestic violence situation. Charges were subsequently withdrawn and Natasha was referred to a counselling and family support programme.

Moses (name changed) was 15 and in Grade 9 when he was accused of stealing a mobile phone from a classmate in Chipata. His family could not afford a lawyer and, without the CJF network, Moses would likely have gone unrepresented before the court.

Through the Legal Aid Board's partnership with the CJF, Moses was assigned a legal aid lawyer within 48 hours of his first appearance. The lawyer, trained in child-sensitive legal practice, ensured the correct procedures were followed, that Moses was not held with adult detainees, and that his school was kept informed.

During the hearing, inconsistencies in the prosecution's case became apparent. Moses was acquitted. He returned to school and sat his Grade 9 examinations that same term. He has since passed to Grade 10.

Bright (name changed) was 13 years old and living with his grandmother in Livingstone when police picked him up late at night after a curfew violation. His grandmother was unwell and he had been looking for medicine at a nearby clinic.

The Livingstone LCJF was notified and a Social Welfare Officer was dispatched to the police station. She quickly established the true circumstances. Rather than proceeding with any charge, she visited the family home the following morning.

The Social Welfare Officer's home assessment identified the family's severe poverty and the grandmother's deteriorating health. She coordinated referrals to three separate social support programmes. Bright received school stationery support and the grandmother was connected with a health support programme.

Emmanuel (name changed), 17, was involved in a physical altercation with a neighbour's son that resulted in a minor injury to the other boy. As a pilot district for the CJF's Alternative Resolution and Reconciliation Strategy (ARRS), Kapiri Mposhi had a structured process to handle exactly this type of situation.

With both families' consent, a trained ARRS facilitator convened a structured reconciliation meeting. Both boys were present with their families. Emmanuel acknowledged the harm caused and, with guidance from the facilitator, made a concrete commitment to the affected family — in this case, helping with farm work for two weekends.

The matter was closed without any court proceedings. Both families reported satisfaction with the process. Emmanuel returned to his Grade 12 studies and completed his school certificate that year.

Charity (name changed) was 12 years old when she was brought to the Kasama police station suspected of theft. She appeared confused, malnourished, and was unable to give a coherent account of where she lived or who her parents were.

The attending officer, trained through the CJF's police capacity-building programme, recognised the signs of potential trafficking. He immediately notified the Kasama LCJF and a Social Welfare Officer rather than proceeding with any charge.

The Social Welfare Officer's assessment confirmed that Charity had been trafficked from her home district. Specialist victim support was activated immediately. Zambia Police's victim support unit was engaged. Within ten days, Charity had been safely repatriated to her family in a rural district, more than 300 kilometres away. Her parents had been searching for her for six weeks.