As the Hands-Off project closes out, the INERELA+ Secretariat successfully conducted end-of-project M&E technical visits in two countries: Zambia and Zimbabwe. The purpose of the technical visits was to inform the programming on the successes, challenges, and gaps for improvement in future similar projects. Face-to-face interviews collected qualitative data, including testimonies, success stories, videos, comments and recommendations from the primary beneficiaries of the project, and lessons learned, as well as beneficiary and stakeholder impact assessments of the project since the year 2020.
In the picture is Headman Francis Mashata and Headman Misheck Shine Mwanjaluka Chikasha. The first technical visit was conducted in Zambia from the 28th March to the 3rd of April 2026, where INERELA+ Secretariat M and E Team met with youth who were trained on Adolescents in Life Skills, Peer educators/Champions trained on SRHR, Child rights, HIV and GBV,
Religious leaders trained to become change agents, support groups, sensitized enforcement agents among many stakeholders that Country Networks worked with under the Hands Off Project. Some of the significant takeaways from the visit to INERELA+ Zambia (ZANERELA+) were a working memorandum between ZANERELA+ at the HIV Testing Service (HTS), Child, and TB departments at Chipata 1 hospital, where key populations that are being served by ZANERELA+ have access to services.
The Hospital Management acknowledged ZANERELA and their complementary efforts to the government of Zambia’s health programming. Another significant milestone is that of ZANERELA, having been allocated a land by traditional leaders to build a centre that can provide services against GBV, Drug abuse, HIV testing and counselling to key populations in Mungule Chibomo district in the central province of Zambia (an amazing gesture of appreciation of the impact of the Hands off project in the two villages).
In the picture is Rev Steven Manja and Pastor Roslyn Manja of the Evangelical Church of Zimbabwe. The technical visit was conducted between the 12th and 19th of April 2026 in Zimbabwe and key to note is the change of mentality towards key populations within different religious circles, especially the mainline churches, who, before awareness and vigorous campaigns through the Hands Off project, were adamant and very critical of different
subjects and issues that affected Key populations. Among the challenges with mainline churches was the rigidity of their doctrinal position, which allowed very little room for key populations to navigate. However, through the technical visit and interactions with the major mainline churches, trained religious leaders, there is a feeling of common understanding, unity among Religious leaders towards the fight for human rights, access to services, and freedom to work, a non-discriminatory society in religious spaces and promotion of equal rights.