About Us

Over time, YOCUPA has expanded its work to address sexual and gender-based violence (GBV), child protection, HIV/AIDS, environmental justice, safe motherhood, child nutrition, online and offline sexual violence, and community governance. All programs are designed with bottom-up, participatory methods that begin in the community and center youth voices.

The Problem

Across Zambia, homes, schools, and communities have become unsafe for many children and youth. Perpetrators including step-parents, relatives, domestic workers, and educators exploit power imbalances and trust to commit sexual violence against children.

Research and field experience show a growing pattern of sexual harassment and exploitation in schools and higher education institutions, where teachers and lecturers use coercion and manipulation to demand sexual favors. The effects are devastating:

• Rising cases of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections
• Unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions
• Mental health crises, substance abuse, and suicide
• Forced and early marriages, school dropout, and child motherhood
• Loss of trust in families and institutions meant to protect the vulnerable

Our Impact

To combat these intersecting crises, YOCUPA implements a suite of evidence-based, community-driven programs.

Through our integrated approaches, YOCUPA has:

• Reached tens of thousands of community members across Zambia.
• Partnered with organizations including GRACE Cares, Inc., Brave Movement Africa, INHOPE, ZESCO, National Arts Council of Zambia , European Union to Zambia, and Global Fund on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria.
• Created a replicable model for arts-based social transformation grounded in data, empathy, and community participation.