An Assessment of Community Based Child Protection Mechanisms in Kalola Community of Chibombo District, Zambia

This paper is on the ethnographic mapping for community based child protection mechanisms (CBCPMs) to assess the main risk factors for children, mechanisms in place for protection, and to provide a guide for programming that promotes a protective environment in Kalola Community of Chibombo District, Zambia. The community faces many challenges, including few educational resources, remoteness from police stations, schools, and health clinics, low linkages to formal child protection systems, and limited resources to support education and interventions for child protection issues. The core research questions of this qualitative study were designated into seven Thematic Areas: (1) Understanding general child protection concerns and prevalence, (2) Community attitudes around risks and protection, (3) Children’s resilience skills and participation in their own protection, (4) Understanding the formal child protection system, (5) Understanding the informal child protection system, (6) Understanding capacities in the child protection systems, and (7) Accountability in the child protection systems. The study was conducted in six zones in the Kalola community, through a total of 37 focus groups that reached 648 participants, as well as 24 key informant interviews (KIIs) with local leaders and government/NGO actors. Data collectors completed social maps, transect walks, and observation sheets to gain an understanding of the community. For focus groups and KIIs, data collectors used specific questions under each thematic area to engage the different groups of participants. Additional tools, like body mapping and problem tree analysis, were utilized with children and adults. Notes were transcribed after data collection, and the team returned to the field several times to fill gaps that were identified. Challenges of the process included the length of time between data collection and validation, the Cholera outbreak which prevented gatherings for some time, and the deterioration of some road networks due to the rainy season. Under Thematic Area 1, the main child protection risks identified by the community include drug and alcohol abuse, school drop outs, conflict with adults, teen pregnancy, early marriage, sexual violence, child labor, and neglect. When discussing causes of such risks, the common themes that emerged were poverty, lack of economic opportunities, and children lacking supervision from parents. Under Thematic Area 2, cultural and religious practices that protect or put children at risk were discussed further. During data collection, participants mentioned certain aspects of initiation ceremonies that put children at risk of harm, but during validation sessions it was agreed that most of those cultural practices are no longer prominent in the community. The practice that continues to exist is building separate houses for children, which exposes them to sexual abuse or early sexual activity. In terms of religious practices, children are regularly unsupervised at church camps or night meetings, leaving them vulnerable to many harms. Positive parental guidance, peer groups, and religious values were cited as protecting children from harm. Under Thematic Area 3 it was found that children’s voices are not greatly taken into account in the community. Adults do not seriously consider the perspectives of children because of their age. Children would rather confide in peers if they have experienced abuse, leading to most cases being handled at a family level, because of fear of reporting. Under Thematic Area 4, many formal structures were identified by participants, but most community members find it difficult to use these structures due to the distance, corruption, and limited capacity of these structures to respond to cases. Instead, under Thematic Area 5 it was found that most cases are handled between families or with the support of the village council (including traditional leaders) or religious leaders. Under Thematic Area 6, participants mostly expressed that they are dissatisfied with child protection services because structures are distant from the community, the structures lack the skills to successfully respond to and handle cases, and those who report are often victimized, perpetuating the culture of silence. Under Thematic Area 7, participants noted that the health facilities and schools seem to monitor their programs and provide a platform for feedback, but otherwise there are limited opportunities for people to express their concerns. Additionally, there are limited services for victims. Validation took place during two sessions, first with a mixed group of 25 adults and youth, and second with a group of 32 youth. During both sessions, the participants were able to hear, confirm, and clarify the findings from all seven Thematic Areas. With both groups, the most significant revision was that initiation ceremonies are no longer prominent in the community, and participants did not agree that this cultural practice poses a risk of harm for children. Adult participants were more vocal about the difficulties in accessing formal structures, mostly due to distance and corruption. Youth participants discussed in detail the need for their voices to be considered and for sensitization programs on child protection, which could also help parents and children form better relationships. Among the key recommendations from both groups include: engaging community leaders to reduce alcohol consumption, sensitization programs for adults and children, a counselling or youth resource center, advocating for more local formal structures, and the introduction of income-generating activities or skill programs for youth. The conclusion and recommendation section of this paper gives more insights into the key findings and recommendations to support strengthening of CBCPMs in this community.