Family Development Initiatives

Family Development Initiatives (FDI) has been honoured to participate in the GNRC Global Action Meeting, held under the theme, “Answering the Call of the Child: From Commitments to Action.”

The meeting has brought together faith actors, representatives of international institutions including UNICEF and Norwegian Church Aid, government officials, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders united by one important responsibility: ensuring that every child is protected, nurtured, heard, and given the opportunity to thrive.

At the heart of the discussions has been a simple but powerful reminder — children are human beings, and their dignity must be protected.

Among the issues explored was the growing influence of social media and digital platforms on children. While the digital world provides tremendous opportunities for learning, creativity, and connection, it also exposes children to harmful content, violence, exploitation, cyberbullying, misinformation, and other risks that can undermine their safety, wellbeing, and development.

Protecting children therefore cannot be the responsibility of one institution alone. It requires families, faith communities, governments, civil society, international institutions, technology companies, and communities themselves to work together.

For FDI, child protection and development must ultimately be grounded in the recognition of the inherent dignity of every child. When we value that dignity, we are compelled not only to protect children from harm, but also to create environments in which they can grow in confidence, resilience, safety, and hope.

The call before us is clear: we must move from declarations and commitments to meaningful action.

Every child deserves dignity.
Every child deserves protection.
Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive.

Today we sat down with CWACs from Mlanga and Feni in Chto walk through something that really matters: how do you actually help a vulnerable child or family the right way, step by step, without cutting corners?

MCDSS, FDD, and the Gender Division joined the conversation, and it kept coming back to trust. Before a CWAC does anything, they ask first — that's Form 1A, getting real consent from the caregiver or child, not just showing up and taking over. Then they sit with the family, listen, and capture what's actually going on: the risks, the needs, what strengths the family already has. If the case needs more than a CWAC can give, health support, legal help, school involvement, that's when a referral goes out, and a copy stays on file so nothing gets lost.

But the part that stuck with us most was this: a referral isn't the end of the story. CWACs are expected to circle back within two weeks and actually check, did the family get help? Did things improve? That follow-up is where the real care shows.

And through all of it, one rule holds: what's shared with a CWAC stays inside the referral pathway. Nothing more.

This is what protecting children looks like when it's done right, not a form filled out and forgotten, but people staying with a family until things actually change.

In Chinsali, Chipata, Monze, and Petauke, we've watched something quietly beautiful happen, people putting on a simple pair of reading glasses and, for the first time in years, seeing clearly again. A grandmother reading her Bible without struggling. A tailor threading a needle without guessing. Small moments, but for the people living them, they mean everything.

Presbyopia doesn't announce itself. It creeps in with age and slowly takes away the small joys of seeing up close, until one day, someone hands you a pair of glasses and the world sharpens back into focus.

None of this would be possible without our partner, Churches Health Association of Zambia - CHAZ.

Four communities reached. Countless small moments of clarity restored. We're just getting started.

Day 1 of the CSO Engagement Workshop on e-chis wrapped up in Chilanga.

FDI brought together NCRF, CSSCM, ZCSIP, and AM-SRH/FP to dig into the Community Health Information Platform, not just to understand it, but to figure out how to hold it accountable.

The problem e-chis is trying to solve is real: right now, a patient walks into a new facility and starts from zero. No history follows them. Just a new book and a new guess, every time. Digital identity could fix that, letting a record follow a patient wherever they go, but only if it's built and monitored right, which means asking hard questions now about who owns that data and what real consent looks like.

That's where CSOs come in. We spent the day comparing the monitoring tools NCRF, CSSCM, and ZCSIP already use, looking at how to align them so we're tracking service delivery with one tool.

Fragmented data, unified advocacy. Onto Day 2.

The Board of Directors, Management, and Members of Family Development Initiatives extend our warmest congratulations to the President-Elect of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema.

We look forward to continued partnership in advancing sustainable development, human rights, and community empowerment for all Zambian families.

2026 General Election Results Announcement.