UNFPA Zambia PSEA & SH in Emergencies Programme Specialist Angela Wangui Kimonyi

I chose assignment with UNFPA through DRC because it sat at the intersection of

climate shock and humanitarian response—spaces where Protection from Sexual

Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) is most fragile. The drought in Zambia didn't just erode

food security; it shifted community power dynamics. I wanted to see how safeguarding commitments translate into reality for those waiting in line for aid.

The assignment was deeply grounding. At distribution points, I met women and persons with disabilities who were encountering PSEA information for the first time. For many with visual impairments, access had been a permanent barrier. Introducing PSEA materials in Braille was a turning point; one participant shared that this was the first time they could access safeguarding information independently. It reinforced a core truth: inclusion is not an add-on to protection; it is central to it.

Interacting with beneficiaries revealed a critical gap between awareness and reporting. Many community members were eager to ask questions about aid processes, selection criteria, and perceived abuses of power, yet hesitant to frame their concerns as sexual exploitation. Through awareness sessions, grievance desks, and the availability of accessible IEC materials, we helped create safer and more dignified entry points for enquiry. For many, being able to seek clarification whether verbally, through a helpline, was the first step toward trust.

By strengthening grievance desks and inclusive reporting pathways, we created safer entry points. The shift from silence to enquiry—and eventually to reporting—

demonstrated a growing trust in the system.

UNFPA’s impact in this humanitarian emergency has been both protective and catalytic. By embedding PSEA into drought response, investing in accessible communication tools, convening national actors, and reactivating the interagency PSEA network, UNFPA helped move the response from awareness to accountability.

The emergence of SEA reports reflected growing confidence in systems, not increased harm. As Zambia transitions toward recovery and resilience, this surge reaffirmed that safeguarding is a continuous journey one built on presence, inclusion, listening to communities in all their diversity and addressing every concern raised to close the loop.