Undikumbukire Project Zambia (UP) is a Zambian human rights organization focused on juveniles in conflict with the law. We help imprisoned juveniles obtain legal representation and social support, and we advocate for a more restorative justice system.
How we grew
UP Zambia’s work began in 2014, when a group of community members in Lusaka began to bring blankets, toiletries and other items to Lusaka’s Kamwala Remand Prison to help meet the physical needs of the juveniles in custody there. Expecting to simply leave the donations, we instead encountered boys who were desperate to interact, asking not to be forgotten. And so Undikumbukire Project—meaning, “remember me” in a local language—began.
As we continued to spend time in Kamwala Remand Prison, it became clear that visits alone would not address the root problems behind the juveniles’ incarceration: first and foremost, they needed someone to defend their rights in court and advocate for the speedy resolution of their cases.