In Matero - one of Lusaka’s largest and poorest compounds - children grow up facing poverty, high HIV and malaria rates, and limited opportunities for safe play or structured learning. Many have lost parents or siblings, live in households surviving on less than $2/day, and carry the emotional weight of trauma and stigma. Without safe spaces, children are at greater risk of abuse, dropping out of school, and poor mental health outcomes.

Safe Park addresses this gap by creating a safe, supportive environment where children can learn, play, and interact with peers. Here, play is not just recreation - it is a pathway to healing, resilience, and growth.

Every Saturday morning, Safe Park welcomes 70 - 75 children for free, structured activities in Matero. Led by trained child-care and health workers, the program combines education, play, and psychosocial support. Activities include:

• Zambian games, drama, role-play, and poetry to build knowledge about HIV, malaria, and healthy living.
• Discussions for older children on sensitive topics such as safe sex, adherence to medication, and stigma reduction.
• Drawing, coloring, soccer, singing, dancing, and group reading for younger children to encourage early learning and social skills.
• Homework help and peer mentoring, with older youth and program graduates volunteering as role models.

During each session, our Project Nurse observes children for signs of stress, trauma, or growth delays, providing counseling and referrals for families as needed. Every child receives a snack, recognizing that many arrive without having eaten.

Safe Park also extends learning beyond the playground:

• Computer Lab: Launched in 2023, Matero’s first-ever community computer lab now offers after-school digital literacy classes. Demand is high, and children are already teaching peers.
• COVID-19 Response: More than 700 children have attended COVID-19 education workshops, learning about prevention, handwashing, and PPE use.

Children who attend Safe Park regularly:

• Report higher self-esteem and improved mental well-being.
• Gain knowledge about HIV prevention and care, and many feel empowered to disclose their status safely.
• Face reduced stigma and build stronger peer relationships.
• Improve academic performance through homework help and encouragement.
• Develop social skills such as cooperation, sharing, and conflict resolution.
• Stay off the streets, avoiding environments where abuse is common.

Families also benefit: parents and caregivers learn about keeping children in school, accessing health services, HIV testing, and antenatal visits for expecting mothers. Some HIV-positive mothers are counseled and referred for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), directly linking Safe Park to healthier pregnancies and births.

Today, more than 750 children have benefitted from Safe Park, making it an invaluable resource for the community.

Safe Park is more than a playground—it’s a bridge to community resilience. By empowering older children to mentor and lead, the program grows the next generation of educators and leaders. Children who once struggled with isolation now belong to a supportive community, making friends, avoiding fights, and even reporting abuse.

The addition of the computer lab ensures that Safe Park is also preparing children for the future, giving them skills to thrive in a digital world.

Looking ahead, we plan to:

• Expand the number of graduates who return as volunteer mentors and workshop leaders.
• Secure funding to rent a larger play area and provide nutritious meals every week.
• Continue strengthening the computer lab to meet high demand and shorten waitlists.
• Build more pathways that link Safe Park to other Circle of Care programs—such as Pediatric HIV Care, Maternal Health, and Microloans for women.

Safe Park succeeds because it combines joy with evidence-based interventions:

• Trusted community workers deliver health education in child-friendly ways.
• Play is used as a tool for healing and early childhood development.
• Older youth serve as role models, reinforcing leadership and continuity.
• Integration with the Circle of Care ensures connections to health, education, and family support.

In Matero, every child deserves a safe place to play, learn, and belong. Safe Park makes that vision real - week by week, child by child.

Testimonials from POL Microloan recepients