How Community Members and Leaders have Bought into Change on Harmful Practices Like Child Marriage and Child Sexual Abuse Prevention in Zanzibar.

When people think of madrasas, they often picture quiet rooms filled with children reciting scriptures. But in Zanzibar, something deeper is happening, these sacred spaces are transforming into hubs of protection, dialogue, and community-led change.

Thanks to the KUWAZA project, madrasas are no longer just places of learning. Following the rollout of the Sexual Violence Against Children (SVAC) prevention toolkit training, these institutions have become vital platforms where sensitive issues such as child sexual abuse and child marriage are discussed openly and addressed directly.

Children during the madrassa SVAC prevention training.

This shift has been made possible through the active involvement of religious leaders, teachers, parents, and Shehia leadership who were trained under the KUWAZA project. They have embraced this noble effort as part of their community action plan, turning knowledge into meaningful change. In 2025, KUWAZA partnered with six madrasas: Arafa, Tahadhif, Rashad, Taqwa, and Bihidayat Wasihaya.

This initiative was driven by former trainees who took the lead in extending their knowledge to members of the community who had not participated in the SVAC (Sexual Violence Against Children) toolkit training. The goal was to equip these individuals with tools to protect children and inspire positive change from within their own communities. From teachers and students to Shehas and parents, everyone had a seat at the table learning, reflecting, and co-creating solutions.

“The KUWAZA training has played a very big role in reducing incidents of child sexual abuse within the Zanzibari community,” noted one madrasa leader.

Findings from the KUWAZA III endline report back this up:

• Comfort discussing SVAC with parents rose from 69% to 90% post-intervention.

• Confidence in disclosing sexual abuse increased, boys from 79.4% to 96.7%, girls from 76.0% to 94.2%.

• Willingness to report to authorities improved: reports to police grew slightly (boys 32.9% → 34.4%, girls 28.2% → 40.7%), and reports to village elders rose to 46.4% for boys and 49.7% for girls.

• Parents remain the first line of reporting (88.6% boys, 88.4% girls).

• Awareness of harmful practices grew: rape/defilement (boys 65.6% → 68.5%, girls 67.9% → 71.0%), child marriage (boys 30.0% → 34.5%, girls 28.5% → 41.9%).

• Knowledge of legal protections improved by 18.5% for boys and 20.8% for girls.

However, challenges remain: only 16% of children who reported sexual abuse were believed, though parental belief improved from 63.8% to 72.9% post-intervention.

Another added: “Before the training, my understanding of child sexual abuse was surface level. Now, I know more, how to protect children not just in theory, but with real, practical steps, and most importantly making them part of a conversation”.

From Awareness to Action.

The true strength of KUWAZA’s approach lay in its community action plans. Each madrasa and surrounding community worked hand-in-hand to map out high-risk areas and eliminate them.

Initiatives included:

• Tailored safety plans for madrasas

• Identifying and responding to unsafe community spaces

• Embedding child protection lessons into both religious and public schools And here’s what made it extraordinary no one was paid to do this. People stepped up because they believed in it, that sexual abuse against children.

“Community members have actively engaged in the implementation of action plans without financial incentives. We are united by a shared commitment and values to protect our children.” One madrassa leader mentioned.

Changing the Culture Around Parenting and Protection.

One unexpected ripple effect? A shift in how people view parenting.

“The training broadened our understanding of responsible parenting and what counts as abuse, It reminded us that children face daily developmental challenges, and we must be there, not just as providers, but as protectors.” One parent shared.

Parents and children during one of KUWAZA's SVAC prevention lessons.

"This was my first time having a face-to-face critical conversation with my child about puberty and sexual and reproductive health. I realized that what I lacked most was simply knowing how to begin such conversations. I have learned a big lesson. Our children are going through so much on their journey to adulthood, yet our presence has not been meaningful enough to support these important discussions," shared one parent during a reflection session following a joint session between parents and their children.

Parents and their children having one on one conversations during one of the training sessions.

Of course, we understand that change doesn’t happen overnight. Challenges remain, particularly around consistent parental involvement. But something has shifted. Shehas are making public announcements on child protection community dialogues. Teachers are more proactive. Madrasas are leading with compassion and purpose.

“I now feel empowered to raise awareness in schools, at the Shehia level, and throughout my community,” said one participant from the parents' cohort.

“The training has really increased our awareness and understanding of child protection. Yes, abuse still occurs, but now we can talk about it. We respond. We care.” Said one of the teachers.

The conversations have begun. The silence is breaking. And perhaps most importantly, the responsibility of protecting children no longer belongs to a few. It’s becoming a community-wide movement. And what is more interesting is, children being empowered while seeing the adults around them eager to listen, act and protect. We love to see it!

Prepared by C-Sema's Communications Team.