The Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, in partnership with UNICEF, has today launched the “Tikambe, It’s Safe” Campaign, aimed at protecting adolescents from child marriage, adolescent pregnancy, gender-based violence, substance abuse, and mental health challenges.
Tikambe, which means “let’s talk,” promotes open dialogue and collective action on issues affecting adolescents.
Launched in Katete, Eastern Province, the campaign builds on the national momentum generated during the 16 Days of Activism and reflects Government’s intensified efforts to address the protection risks faced by adolescents in Zambia.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, Ms. Angela Kawandami, in a speech read on her behalf by Eastern Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Dr. Lewis Mwape, reaffirmed Government’s commitment to creating a safe, inclusive, and enabling environment for adolescents to thrive.
Ms. Kawandami assured that Government is working expeditiously to end child marriage and strengthen adolescent-focused services in line with the Children’s Code Act (2022), the Marriage (Amendment) Act (2023), and the recently launched Ending Child Marriage Strategy (2026–2030).
She further noted that the challenges faced by adolescents are not mere statistics but lived realities that require coordinated and sustained action.
“Addressing these challenges requires every system, education, health, social protection, and justice to work together so that no young person is left behind,” Ms. Kawandami said.
UNICEF Deputy Representative Mr. Tinkhani Msonda said the campaign is human-centred and youth-driven, emphasizing that it was not designed for young people, but with young people.
He noted that adolescents are calling for safe spaces, trusted adults, and responsive systems that meet their needs, and reaffirmed UNICEF’s continued support to Government, families, and communities to ensure that every adolescent in Zambia thrives.
The campaign will be rolled out through radio public service announcements, social media activations, youth mentorship initiatives, digital engagement, as well as the release of a campaign song and an animated film.
Adolescents will also be encouraged to join U-Report, UNICEF’s digital youth engagement platform, by dialing *878#.
