CHILDLINE 116
Helpline for children
PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLORS
reachable by phone, whatsapp or facebook 24/7
Childline provides free phone/text/web-based counselling to children in need of psycho-social support and referral services. Open 24/7 every day of the year, Childline offers counseling on a variety of issues including: violence against children, online safety, bullying, substance abuse, mental health, neglect, child marriages, physical and emotional abuse, education, child trafficking, child labour, and HIV and AIDS. Children and adolescents can access Childline for free from any network (Airtel, MTN, ZAMTEL), and a qualified counsellor will provide feedback on their concerns or link them to a service provider if necessary and appropriate.

Childline has countrywide coverage and is available to children in hard-to-reach geographical areas. Childline does not discriminate and strives to be client-centred at all times so that clients feel free and comfortable to express themselves regarding the issues that worry or concern them. Childline staff are able to accommodate clients in English, or in any of Zambia’s 7 local languages. Callers are also able to request female or male counsellors.

Since 2011, Childline has provided lifesaving counselling services to hundreds of thousands of callers.

LIFELINE 933
Helpline for adults
PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS
reachable by phone, whatsapp or facebook 24/7
Lifeline provides free phone/text/web-based counselling to adults in need of psycho-social support and referral services. Open 24/7 every day of the year, Lifeline offers counselling on a variety of issues including: gender- based violence, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, mental health, and child marriages. Clients can access Lifeline for free from any network (Airtel, MTN, ZAMTEL), and a qualified counsellor will provide feedback on their concerns or link them to a service provider if necessary and appropriate.

Lifeline has countrywide coverage and is available to adults in hard-to-reach geographical areas. Lifeline does not discriminate and strives to be client-centred at all times so that clients feel free and comfortable to express themselves regarding the issues that worry or concern them. Lifeline staff are able to accommodate clients in English, or in any of Zambia’s 7 local languages. Callers are also able to request female or male counsellors.

OUR PROGRAMMES
In addition to running the 24-hour contact centre, and building-on over a decade’s worth of experience providing counselling, case management, and referral services, Lifeline Childline Zambia implements several projects in the areas of gender-based violence prevention and response, child protection, child rights and governance, and refugee response.

Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
Lifeline Childline Zambia, with support from the European Union, is presently implementing a three and half year-long project that aims to increase access to phone/text/web-based counselling services for women and girls who experience sexual and gender-based violence, in Luapula and Northern Provinces, while at the same time generating evidence to inform Government GBV prevention and response programming at the national level. The project supports organizational development activities, contact-centre system upgrades, and counselor-training initiatives.

Lifeline Childline Zambia also partners with the Zambia Centre for Communications Programme (ZCCP), the prime implementer of the five-year USAID Stop Gender-Based Violence Project, which aims to create an environment in which women and girls “live lives free of GBV and enjoy healthy, supportive, and gender-equitable relationships.” To accomplish this, the project is conducting community mobilization and service delivery activities in sixteen districts across Zambia (namely: Sesheke, Mongu, Livingstone, Lusaka, Chongwe, Chipata, Kabwe, Kapiri Mposhi, Ndola, Kitwe, Masaiti, Luanshya, Mufulira, Chingola, Kalulushi, and Solwezi). Lifeline Childline is supporting these efforts through the provision of contact-centre counselling, referral, and case-management services.

Child Protection/Child Rights/Governance
Lifeline Childline Zambia, with support from the NORAD Framework, and in partnership with Plan International works in Eastern, Central, and Luapula Provinces to conduct a series of child protection and system strengthening activities. The aim of these interventions is to improve reporting and response mechanisms for child abuse at the community and district levels, strengthen child-centred services that support the welfare of children, including children with disabilities, enhance/improve children’s participation in their communities, and improve regulatory frameworks to ensure children are protected from all forms of violence.

In addition, Lifeline Childline Zambia collaborates with Save the Children International to support implementation of the National Plan of Action for the 2015 National Child Policy, build the capacity of local organizations to respond to violence against children, and strengthen case management and referral systems for children, by working with child protection committees in four districts throughout Zambia (Katete, Kapiri, Choma, and Lufwanyama).

Refugee Response
Lifeline Childline Zambia is a key provider of services in the Mantapala Refugee Resettlement in Luapula Province. The camp is home to 14,489 refugees, mostly women, and children, who have fled civil, political, and economic unrest in the Congo. Examples of Lifeline Childline’s past and current refugee response activities include: providing ongoing trauma counselling (door-to-door and at help desks) and case-management and referral services; implementing youth outreach initiatives; distributing hygiene kits; improving youth-friendly spaces; and, conducting advocacy trainings for children and adolescents. These activities are made possible through partnerships with UNICEF, Terres des Hommes (tdh), Plan International, Save the Children and Caritas.

Interested in partnering with Lifeline Childline Zambia? Please contact us, and we will get back to you as soon as possible!

OUR HISTORY
Lifeline 933
Lifeline was established in 2003, in response to increasing suicide rates due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. At the time, the option for remote counselling was non-existent, and the problem of HIV/AIDS-related stigma significant. This combined with widespread misinformation about HIV/AIDS made it difficult for individuals to seek accurate information and get necessary help. Lifeline got its start as a suicide prevention hotline and expanded its issue areas as the needs of the Zambian population evolved, and more was learned about the drivers of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In Zambia, gender-based violence is often a risk-factor for HIV/AIDS transmission, and one that is difficult for women and men to discuss in person (this was especially true during the early days of the epidemic). As a result, Lifeline focused its counselling efforts on gender-based violence prevention and directing cases of abuse to the relevant government authorities. Over time, the topics covered by Lifeline counsellors continued to expand to meet the changing psycho-social support needs of our callers.

Since its inception, Lifeline has provided lifesaving counselling services to hundreds of thousands of individuals and continues to answer hundreds of calls per day.

Childline 116
Childline was added to Lifeline’s call-centre in 2011, following an observed need for a helpline capable of addressing the needs of children in Zambia. The Government solicited proposals from organizations interested in providing the service, and Lifeline, together with Plan International, and Save the Children were successful in putting together a winning bid, securing the addition of the toll-free 116 line to the call-centre.