Our Programs

The Litsemba Rising Project, anchored by the Campus Sexual Harassment Prevention Intervention (CSHP), is a groundbreaking three-year initiative (2023–2026) dedicated to promoting the welfare and protection of vulnerable children, youth, caregivers, and families within Eswatini’s higher education sector. Supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through the prestigious What Works to Prevent Violence: Innovation Grants (What Works 2 Programme), this project exemplifies our commitment to fostering safe and inclusive environments where young people can thrive without fear of sexual harassment.

In partnership with Women Unlimited Eswatini and in collaboration with the University of Eswatini (UNESWA), through the Litsemba Rising we target systemic change in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) by empowering both students and staff to participate in creating campuses free from violence and discrimination. The project’s comprehensive approach not only addresses immediate safety concerns but also strengthens the broader campus climate, ensuring lasting positive impacts on vulnerable youth and their communities.

The Youth Civic Engagement and Governance Strengthening Project, funded by the Commonwealth Foundation, is a strategic initiative designed to promote the active participation of young people in local governance by revitalizing and enhancing existing engagement platforms. Implemented specifically within the Manzini wards and targeting in-school youth, the project collaborates closely with key partners including the Municipal Council of Manzini and the Ministry of Education and Training. Its core objectives encompass a comprehensive assessment of current youth participation levels, identification of barriers to involvement, and development of tailored, effective strategies to foster meaningful and sustained youth engagement in governance processes. A hallmark of this initiative is the creation and implementation of a customized curriculum, developed from assessment findings to address gaps and build the capacity of both youth and the Municipal Council. Beyond curriculum delivery, the project provides continuous support to ensure the practical application and institutionalization of acquired knowledge and best practices, thereby strengthening the overall system for youth civic participation in the region.

The Read@Home project, funded by the World Bank and implemented in partnership with Eswatini’s Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), is a pioneering pilot intervention designed to enhance early learning outcomes by introducing young children to books and fostering their engagement with reading. Grounded in rigorous global research that shows early access to books and interactive book-sharing substantially improve language development and literacy skills, the project pursues several key objectives: strengthening caregivers’ knowledge, skills, and confidence to support early literacy at home; cultivating a sustainable culture of reading and peer learning among caregivers; increasing the availability of culturally relevant, age-appropriate reading materials; promoting children's literacy, language, and cognitive development; and building teacher capacity to effectively integrate literacy in early childhood education settings. Targeting children aged 0–5 years and their caregivers across four Tinkhundla (Maseyisini, Mayiwane, Mafutseni, and Sithobela) spanning all regions of Eswatini, the initiative employs a hub-and-spoke model connecting Grade 0 schools (hubs) with pre-schools (spokes) in seven chiefdoms, also reaching out-of-school children. To date, Read@Home has directly benefited 752 children and 610 caregivers, equipping families with essential tools and resources to nurture foundational literacy skills and support lifelong learning journeys, marking a significant milestone in strengthening early childhood education and community empowerment in Eswatini.