Minister of Community Development and Social Services Doreen Mwamba says the 13 young women who were rescued from the abductors have been reintegrated with their families.
Ms Mwamba stated that the young women underwent psychosocial and mental therapy under the auspices of Social Welfare Officers and Mental Health Practitioners from 7th to 14th October, 2022 in a designated Place of Safety.
She added that the families of the young women who also underwent counseling, were at hand to receive the survivors in their custody and have since travelled back to their respective areas.
Ms Mwamba mentioned that her Ministry working in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Gender Division, is working on specific interventions to ensure that the young women transition back into the education system in a better environment.
“Care plans for each survivor have been developed based on the identified mental health and social economic needs, the young women will continue with the counseling services within their localities and referrals to responsible institutions have already been made,” she said
The Minister has urged the general public to support the rehabilitation process of the survivors as they are now reintegrated back into society, the members of the public must avoid stigmatization and victimization of the young women but render a supporting hand.
“The general public is also urged to report any incidents of abuse and help the authorities to curb such vices in society,” she noted
Ms Mwamba has also cautioned parents and guardians to exercise parental responsibility especially on the girl child and prevent any form of abuse in all settings including boarding houses.
Ms Mwamba said that her Ministry will strengthen collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in ensuring that Boarding Houses are licensed and regularly inspected in order to provide a healthy and secure environment where students thrive and achieve their goals.
Ms Mwamba has expressed gratitude to his Republican President Hakainde Hichilema, the First Lady, Mrs Mutinta Hichilema and the Vice President, Mutale W.K Nalumango, for their role in the rehabilitation process and the warm interactions with the survivors.
On 8th October, 2022, the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services announced in a statement that it has taken over the welfare of the 13 survivors of abduction following the completion of their medical examinations.
Minister of Community Development and Social Services Doreen Mwamba, stated that the Ministry through the Department of Social Welfare has provided a Place of Safety as mandated in the provisions of the Anti-Gender Based Violence Act No.1 of 2011 and Anti- Human Trafficking Act No. 11 of 2008.
Ms Mwamba noted that the young ladies are currently in good spirit after undergoing medical checkups to ascertain their health statuses and establish the extent of their sexual exploitation and abuse.
She, however, stated that the traumatic experience of the abductions caused huge psychological effects on the mental health of the survivors adding that there is need to subject the young ladies to trauma and psychosocial therapy in a Place of Safety as part of the healing process.
“The Case Management processes which will be carried out by the social workers from the Ministry alongside other professional psychologists from Chainama Hospital, will focus on psychological wellness and general welfare on a case-by-case basis,” she explained.
Ms Mwamba disclosed that the Ministry is working closely with the gender division as well as Non-Governmental Organisations to ensure that all supplies are provided to the survivors in order to safeguard their stay in the Place of Safety.
“Criminal investigations by Zambia Police have continued to ensure the culprits are brought to book,” she said
On 3rd October, 2022, the Zambia Police Service rescued 13 girls who were held captive in a house in Lusaka’s Chalala area, this was after a long-protracted investigation that was continuously pursued by the Zambia Police Service since April this year when one of the victims who was a mobile money booth operator Pamela Chisupa was abducted along Cairo Road in Lusaka.
The Police arrested Five people in connection with the abduction, where three were arrested from Lusaka, the house in Chalala where the victims were being held captive and two were arrested in Kaoma Western Province.
We know that they went for indoctrination.
Can this woman please work on her body mass for her own health’s sake. This is unhealthy and a danger to her life
Here is more evidence that the UK based impostor is behind this alias…you the think with trolling or blogging no matter how much you diguise yourself you always leave your fingerprint and that’s your mindset.
I hope you now what you are doing. This kind of therapy doesnt last one week: “underwent psychosocial and mental therapy under the auspices of Social Welfare Officers and Mental Health Practitioners from 7th to 14th October, 2022”
Its all politics …they were probably just kept in a motel somewhere
The blind beggars and street kids also require your attention! Stop ignoring them
Can someone tell ba Shi Anderson Junior that this was not GBV it was just pure criminality, does he want donations for GBV from his white friends?
Why are they called girls?
Girls makes them appear innocent
It’s the poor reporting prevalent in Zambia at present.
This case will just disappear like a fart in the wind cases like the Gassing debacle, Market fires, Vespers come to mind. I mean there is more to this case I mean how can a handful of unemployed boys manage to kidnap 13 women for 6 to 8 months in a residential area. How were they feeding them? How were they paying rent? What was the motive? I think ZP already have broken the case but because of the nature of our country politicans have got involved and have cold feet because even these women may have been initially in on this scam.