Social Services Directorate establishes District SASA team to lead GBV interventions

The Social Services Directorate through its Ana Patsogolo project has established a district task force that will lead the implementation of various interventions seeking to address Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Chikwawa district.

The team, dubbed ‘Chikwawa district SASA team’ is made up of members of the district Gender Technical working group-a consortium of both state and non-state actors that deal with issues of gender and child protection. SASA, a short form for Start Awareness Support Action, is a strategic approach towards the curtailment of GBV. It mainly focuses on community power differences, circles of influence, and utilization of change agents. The SASA team will therefore take the driving seat in driving this holistic approach.

The team was formulated after a two-day training through which the district team was fully equipped with knowledge on how SASA operates including the stages involved and underlying factors to be prioritized in upcoming interventions.

Among others, the district SASA team will lead community mobilization, formulation of Community Action groups and Community activists, and facilitation of trainings targeting various groups of people needed for effective implementation of SASA at community level.

Chairperson for civil Society Organisations in Chikwawa, Josephy Chamambala has described the formulation of the task force as ideal as it comes at a time the district is grappling with rising cases of GBV. It will certainly add weight to various interventions being championed by other organizations in the district.

Through APA project the Directorate seeks to among others reduce the risks of GBV and rights violations among vulnerable people especially young children and women in Chikwawa and Nsanje districts. Its is being supported by Bantwana world Education Initiative with funding from USAID.