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The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has handed over the refurbished Kaoma Place of Safety to government.
This had been done through the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services.
The place of safety is meant to provide shelter and assistance to Gender-Based Violence survivors, vulnerable migrants, and victims of human trafficking, among others who were awaiting reintegration.
Speaking during the handover ceremony in Kaoma district in Western Province on Friday, IOM Chief of Mission, Keisha Livermore, said the organisation had been working tirelessly alongside the Zambian government, Civil Society Organisations, and other stakeholders to combat human trafficking and GBV to provide support to victims.
Livermore stated that the shelter, therefore, represented the organisation’s commitment to providing a haven for survivors, as well as comprehensive services and support to help them rebuild their lives.
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“IOM reaffirms its commitment to working with the Government to provide a safe space for victims and ensure that they access services which are beneficial to their wellbeing and reintegration process”, she said, with a call to equally address the drivers of trafficking and GBV and promote sustainable peace and recovery.
Livermore hoped that Kaoma and other shelters in selected parts of the country would not only serve as a physical space for victims to find refuge but would also offer a range of services tailored to their unique needs.
District Commissioner, Kashina Muyambango, appreciated the development.
In a speech read on her behalf by the Kaoma District Agriculture Officer, Pius Mishengo Mishengo Muyumbango said this would significantly contribute to the protection and assistance of such vulnerable groups in the society.
She hailed IOM’s support for vulnerable migrants and Gender-Based Violence victims which responds to the government’s agenda to cooperate with partners in delivering various forms of social protection to citizens.
“Government takes cognisance of the support and cordial relationship it continues to enjoy with IOM and other partners, and I, therefore, urge other stakeholders to extend their services to GBV and violence victims,” Muyambango said.
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