Zambia Family Strengthening Initiative (ZFSI) Project.

Background: Jesus Cares Ministries and Save the Children International has partnered since 2014 under the ZFSI project in Lusaka, Kafue and Chongwe District with the overall goal of reducing family separation and risks to children outside family care through family strengthening interventions, support for case management, linkages to appropriate care and resources for vulnerable families. The project has been strengthening families to keep children in their families by supporting case management, training in positive parenting and linkages to livelihood opportunities. This has been achieved by reintegrating street children into family-based care, working with parents or alternative care to support these children.

Achievement and Impact: The project has greatly contributed towards addressing the challenges of street children especially in Lusaka District (Misisi, John Lange, Kanyama and Chawama). More than 600 street children have been successfully reintegrated back into protective families through family tracing and over 409 households have been economically empowered to enable them support the children meet the basic needs at household level as project is one of the key drives of street children. JCM has been able to successfully established community structure – Child Protection Committees in partnership with Child Protection Unit under Zambia Police Service in each community. These structures spearhead community mobilization to sensitize parents and guardians on positive parenting without violence which drives children on the street, so far more than 8,420 parents/guardians have been mobilised and sensitized.