PKN Team Undertakes Learning Visit to Uganda to Strengthen Violence Prevention and Response

The Pamodzi Kuthetsa Nkhanza (PKN) team undertook a learning visit to Uganda from 7 to 11 September 2026 to strengthen its understanding of effective approaches to preventing and responding to violence against women (VAW). The visit focused on community mobilisation, survivor-centred services, referral pathways, advocacy and coordination with response institutions.

The delegation comprised Regina Makwinja, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Lead; Zharia Ibrahim, Response Lead; and Dorica Chibota, Prevention Lead.

Three members of the PKN team pose for a picture with the members of the Raising Voices team

During the visit, the team engaged with Raising Voices and the Centre for Domestic Violence Prevention (CEDOVIP) to learn about the implementation and adaptation of SASA! Together. Discussions explored the model’s core elements, community mobilisation strategies, implementation activities, approaches to addressing resistance and backlash, and engagement with community activists.

The team also participated in community activities in Kamwokya, including power poster activities, community conversations and community drama, providing practical insights into approaches that promote community engagement and challenge social norms that perpetuate violence against women.

Further engagements with the Uganda Police Force, Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET), Women Pro bono Initiative and Uganda Network on Law, Ethics and HIV/AIDS (UGANET) provided opportunities to learn about institutional responses to VAW, survivor-centred legal and support services, advocacy initiatives, referral pathways and strategies for strengthening community ownership of prevention and response mechanisms.

The learning visit provided a platform for experience-sharing, reflection on implementation challenges and identification of good practices. The insights gained are expected to inform the continued implementation and contextual adaptation of PKN interventions in Malawi, particularly in strengthening community-led prevention approaches and improving coordinated, survivor-centred responses to violence against women.

PKN is a four-and-a-half-year programme, running until 2028, implemented in Malawi’s Lilongwe and Balaka districts, with National-Level Engagement. Led by WOLREC, the consortium comprises the Girls Empowerment Network (GENET) and WAG-Disability Rights.

Regina and Dorica pose for a photo at Raising Voices during their Learning visit.