Since 2012, World Vision Zambia has been implementing the Gender-based Violence Survivor Support Project (GBVSS) to increase the availability and uptake of quality services for gender-based violence (GBV) survivors. The project is funded by USAID through PEPFAR, and UKAID.
The method of providing support to survivors of GBV is through 16 one-stop centres designed and located in 16 districts and offering care and support services under one roof, thereby strengthening the referral system and reducing stigma.
Over 49,000 survivors have received comprehensive package of services resulting in the reduction of disability, disease and death which could have resulted from the violence. A total of 13,000 survivors have received HIV counselling and testing. Those who tested HIV positive were successfully linked to antiretroviral treatment (ART) and are now receiving lifesaving antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).
One-stop centres are strategically located within Government health facilities and provide medical examinations and treatment of physical injuries. One stop centres are also designed to provide:
- medical support for physical injuries of survivors
- forensic evidence collection
- psychosocial counseling for both children and adult survivors
- free legal assistance
- referrals for economic support
- temporary shelter
- education support and
- other services for continuum of care
Working closely with Government line ministries and departments, the Project has trained over 1,600 service providers in multidisciplinary management of cases. Doctors, nurses, midwives, police, social workers, lay counselors and staff from implementing partners are among the trained. This has resulted in improved quality of post gender-based violence support to survivors.
The Gender-based Violence Survivor Support project has also linked survivors to Savings Groups to provide economic opportunities where they have had to leave abusive homes. Currently there are 42 networks are running with 645 survivors.
