Practical support. Real conversations. Community healing.
After-School Program
On 1 October 2025, Safe Space Support Africa proudly launched its After-School Program in Nkhatabay District at Mwaya Primary School.
What began with 35 learners has now grown to 155 children, a mix of girls and boys from Standards 5 to 7, a reflection of the community’s strong response to this safe, engaging, and inclusive learning space.
Each session runs from 14:00 to 17:00, focusing on Mathematics, English, and Science. Lessons are led by our trained Peer-Support Mentors and volunteer teachers who guide learners not only academically but also in building confidence, discipline, and teamwork.
Beyond the classroom, children participate in games, creative activities, and peer-support circles that nurture emotional well-being and social connection. These moments remind us that learning is not just about grades, it’s about growth, joy, and belonging.
This term, we celebrated a meaningful milestone: our first community donation.
Thanks to the generosity of local supporters, every learner received new notebooks and pens. The excitement on their faces was a powerful reminder that small acts of kindness can transform a child’s experience of education.
“Our goal is simple: to ensure every child has the chance to learn, play, and belong.”
– Lucy Zichawo, Director, Safe Space Support Africa
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the leadership of Mwaya Primary School, our dedicated mentors, and the community members whose encouragement, time, and resources keep this initiative alive. Together, we are proving that local action creates lasting change, one child, one classroom, one community at a time.
Peer-Support Mentorship Program
At the heart of Safe Space Support Africa lies our Peer-Support Mentorship Program, the foundation that drives every initiative we lead. Born from the idea that healing begins within the community, this program trains local youth and adults to become trusted companions, listeners, and role models in their neighbourhoods.
The program equips mentors with knowledge in mental health awareness, emotional intelligence, communication, and referral systems. Over seven structured training modules, participants learn how to provide safe, confidential support and connect individuals to professional help when needed, whether it’s the hospital, school, or local authorities.
Our certified Peer-Support Mentors now play vital roles in schools, mothers’ circles, youth programs, and elder visits. They guide discussions, organise activities, and help identify early signs of distress. What makes this model powerful is its simplicity: mentors are not outsiders; they are community members who understand local realities, languages, and struggles.
Through this approach, SSSA is building a network of grassroots mental-health advocates, people who make healing accessible where it’s needed most. Mentorship is not just training; it’s transformation. Many of our mentors describe the experience as healing for themselves, too.
“Being a mentor isn’t about having all the answers it’s about creating space where others feel safe to speak, heal, and grow.”
– Lucy Zichawo, Director, Safe Space Support Africa
Every trained mentor becomes a ripple of hope, proof that with empathy, knowledge, and connection, communities can heal themselves from the inside out.
At the heart of Safe Space Support Africa lies our Peer-Support Mentorship Program, the foundation that drives every initiative we lead. Born from the idea that healing begins within the community, this program trains local youth and adults to become trusted companions, listeners, and role models in their neighbourhoods.
The program equips mentors with knowledge in mental health awareness, emotional intelligence, communication, and referral systems. Over seven structured training modules, participants learn how to provide safe, confidential support and connect individuals to professional help when needed, whether it’s the hospital, school, or local authorities.
Our certified Peer-Support Mentors now play vital roles in schools, mothers’ circles, youth programs, and elder visits. They guide discussions, organise activities, and help identify early signs of distress. What makes this model powerful is its simplicity: mentors are not outsiders; they are community members who understand local realities, languages, and struggles.
Through this approach, SSSA is building a network of grassroots mental-health advocates, people who make healing accessible where it’s needed most. Mentorship is not just training; it’s transformation. Many of our mentors describe the experience as healing for themselves, too.
“Being a mentor isn’t about having all the answers it’s about creating space where others feel safe to speak, heal, and grow.”
– Lucy Zichawo, Director, Safe Space Support Africa
Every trained mentor becomes a ripple of hope, proof that with empathy, knowledge, and connection, communities can heal themselves from the inside out.
Our Mother's Circles
The Safe Space Mothers’ Circles were created from one truth: healing mothers means healing homes. In communities across Nkhatabay, many women carry invisible burdens, raising children alone, facing stigma, or surviving loss and abuse without support. Safe Space Support Africa brings these women together to talk openly, learn from one another, and rebuild confidence in an environment free from judgment.
Each circle meets twice a month under trees, wherever women feel most comfortable. Sessions are guided by our trained Peer-Support Mentors, who lead discussions on topics such as mental health, parenting, financial resilience, and self-care. Through storytelling, peer learning, and shared reflection, mothers begin to rediscover hope and community strength.
Beyond emotional healing, these circles have become hubs of practical empowerment where women share skills, exchange ideas for income generation, and support each other through challenges like illness, domestic violence, and child welfare.
“When a mother heals, her family grows stronger, her children become braver, and her community becomes more compassionate.”
– Lucy Zichawo, Director, Safe Space Support Africa
The success of the Mothers’ Circles reminds us that solutions already exist within the community; they only need space, trust, and time to unfold. Through connection and shared resilience, mothers are rewriting their stories, one circle at a time.
Safe Space Elders Program
Every community carries its history through its elders, yet many elderly caregivers in Nkhatabay live in silence, raising grandchildren after the loss of their own children, often without the emotional or financial support they need. The Safe Space Elders Program was created to restore dignity, connection, and hope among these elders who have spent their lives caring for others.
Our circles bring together elderly men and women to share stories, receive peer support, and access basic wellbeing guidance. We listen first, understanding their struggles with loneliness, poverty, and the responsibility of raising young dependents. Then, through structured group conversations and visits, we connect them to mentorship, health referrals, and small community initiatives that lighten their daily burdens.
Beyond emotional support, we aim to bridge generations. Our Peer-Support Mentors and youth volunteers regularly engage elders through community visits, storytelling sessions, and intergenerational learning activities. These interactions not only uplift the elders but also teach young people the values of empathy, respect, and shared responsibility.
“Many of our elders have given everything to hold families together. This program gives something back care, respect, and community.”
– Lucy Zichawo, Director, Safe Space Support Africa
The Safe Space Elders Program stands as a reminder that healing is not only for the young. It is for those who carried the weight of generations and now deserve peace, companionship, and the assurance that they are not forgotten.
Digital Peer-Support & Safe Space Buddy Program
In many rural areas, access to mental health support remains limited, yet almost everyone has a mobile phone. To bridge this gap, Safe Space Support Africa created the Digital Peer-Support and Safe Space Buddy Program, a WhatsApp-based platform that brings help, connection, and hope directly to the people who need it most.
Through WhatsApp chat groups, voice notes, and guided conversations, community members, especially youth and single mothers, can access peer support, emotional check-ins, and educational content on mental health, self-care, and resilience. The Safe Space Buddy system provides an approachable, stigma-free way to reach out for help privately and safely.
Each digital group is led by a trained Peer-Support Mentor who moderates discussions, shares coping tools, and connects participants to professional help when necessary. This hybrid approach allows us to blend technology with human care, expanding our reach to remote areas while maintaining the warmth and trust that define SSSA.
The program has become a lifeline for individuals who cannot attend in-person circles, offering comfort, encouragement, and connection through a simple message. It’s also an entry point for mentorship training and community mobilisation, proving that healing can travel beyond walls and across screens.
“Safe Space Buddy reminds us that no one should feel alone even a single message can spark hope.”
– Lucy Zichawo, Director, Safe Space Support Africa
By combining empathy with innovation, we are redefining what access to mental health support looks like in African communities, digital, inclusive, and deeply human.
Corporate Training for Community Impact
At Safe Space Support Africa, we believe mental health awareness should not stop at the community level; it must also reach workplaces, schools, and institutions. Through our Corporate Training for Community Impact program, we offer customised mental health and wellbeing workshops designed to strengthen both people and purpose.
Our sessions focus on mental health literacy, emotional resilience, stress management, peer support, and empathy-based leadership. Each workshop is interactive, practical, and grounded in real experiences from our grassroots work across Malawi.
What makes this initiative unique is our model of impact exchange. Instead of traditional payment, organisations make a direct contribution to one of our community programs, such as the After-School Program, Mothers’ Circles, or Elders Support. Your training investment goes straight into creating safe spaces for others to heal and grow.
“When organizations invest in wellbeing, they don’t just strengthen their teams they strengthen communities.”
– Lucy Zichawo, Director, Safe Space Support Africa
How It Works:
Book a Training – We design a half-day or full-day workshop suited to your organisation’s needs.
Make a Contribution – Instead of a fee, you donate learning materials, mentor stipends, or funds to a Safe Space program.
See Your Impact – We share updates and photos showing how your contribution changed lives on the ground.
By partnering with Safe Space Support Africa, you create a ripple of change that begins in your workplace and extends to families, schools, and entire communities. Together, we turn knowledge into healing and leadership into impact