Girls Arise Initiative - Liu Langa Limveke
Overview
The Girls Arise Initiative is a bold, community-driven programme led by Love Community Radio Station (Love FM), designed to empower girls in Salima District to speak, lead, and drive change within their communities. Built on the power of storytelling and radio, the initiative creates a platform where girls are not just heard but actively shape solutions to the challenges they face.
THE CHALLENGE
Girls in Traditional Authorities Kalonga and Kambwiri face deeply rooted barriers that limit their potential and silence their voices. These include early marriages that interrupt education, teenage pregnancies that lead to long-term social and economic challenges, and school dropouts driven by poverty and cultural expectations.
Many girls also experience gender-based violence, lack safe spaces to express themselves, and struggle with low self-confidence due to limited mentorship and psychosocial support. Cultural norms often discourage girls from leadership and public participation, further reinforcing inequality.
Despite multiple interventions addressing individual issues, a critical gap remains: girls are rarely given a platform to define their own challenges and lead the response. The Girls Arise Initiative directly addresses this gap.
Our Approach – A Girl at the Front
At the heart of the initiative is a simple but powerful idea: the most effective advocate for girls is a girl herself.
Love FM provides the platform, credibility, and reach, while a selected Girls Arise Ambassador becomes the voice and face of the movement. This ambassador represents real experiences, engages communities, and helps mobilise support for solutions.
The Ambassador actively works within schools and communities to identify challenges, document cases, and engage with stakeholders. She also participates in radio programmes, podcasts, and community dialogues, ensuring that girls’ voices are heard at every level.
Meanwhile, Love FM leads donor engagement, media visibility, and programme coordination. This partnership ensures that community needs are connected to real resources and opportunities.
Project Objectives
The initiative seeks to amplify girls’ voices through radio, podcasts, and social media while creating safe spaces for expression and dialogue. It focuses on identifying and supporting a Girls Arise Ambassador who will lead outreach and advocacy efforts.
It also aims to document real challenges faced by girls, mobilise donor and partner support, and shift community attitudes towards girls’ leadership and education. At the same time, the programme builds confidence, leadership skills, and emotional resilience among participants, creating a sustainable model for long-term impact.
Who Benefits
The initiative primarily serves girls and young women aged 13 to 25 in T/A Kalonga and T/A Kambwiri. It also engages families, schools, and community leaders, creating a supportive environment for girls’ growth and participation.
Through radio and digital platforms, the initiative reaches a wider audience across Salima District and beyond, amplifying its impact.
Expected Outcomes
The programme aims to establish a strong and recognised Girls Arise Ambassador who actively represents girls’ voices in the community. It will produce engaging podcast content, identify and support at-risk girls, and strengthen partnerships with donors and stakeholders.
Over time, the initiative seeks to shift community attitudes, increase support for girls’ education and leadership, and build a scalable model that can be replicated in other districts.
Key Interventions
The Girls Arise Ambassador Programme stands as the flagship component, where a young woman is selected annually through a structured and transparent process to represent girls in the community. The current Ambassador, Ms Comfort Eriya, was crowned in March 2026, marking the beginning of a new chapter in girl-led advocacy.
The Girls Arise – Salima Speaks Podcast serves as a powerful storytelling platform hosted on Love FM’s Facebook page. Through this platform, girls share their experiences, challenges, and aspirations with a wide audience.
Community outreach is conducted regularly, with the Ambassador visiting schools and communities to identify at-risk girls and document their situations. This evidence feeds into advocacy and support efforts. Love FM leads donor engagement by presenting these real stories and needs to partners, while mentorship and psychosocial support ensure that participating girls receive direct, meaningful support.
An annual crowning ceremony celebrates girls’ leadership and reinforces community commitment to empowerment and inclusion.
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Value for Partners
Partners and donors become part of a visible and impactful movement. Their support is recognised through radio broadcasts, podcast features, and branding at major events such as the Ambassador crowning ceremony.
They also receive regular impact reports and opportunities to engage directly with the initiative. Most importantly, they contribute to real, measurable change in the lives of girls and communities.
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Get Involved
The Girls Arise Initiative is more than a programme—it is a movement that places girls at the center of change. By combining community radio, storytelling, and leadership, it creates a powerful model for empowerment that is both human and sustainable.
With the foundation already in place and the first Ambassador actively leading, the initiative is ready to grow. What is needed now is strong partnerships to expand its reach and deepen its impact.
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Get In Touch
Be part of a movement that is giving girls a voice and a future. Your support can help amplify stories, empower leaders, and transform communities across Salima District.
Alice Kamwanje
Project Coordinator – Girls Arise Initiative
Phone: +265 999 00 23 20
Email: [email protected]