Herr Humphrey Musongo Mwewa

Developmental Psychology, University of Zambia

Biografie

Leader of Practice in Child and Youth Development Programs with over 12 years of field-based coordination experience across both low- and high-resource settings. Demonstrated expertise in designing and implementing multisectoral initiatives in mental health, education, and child protection. Proven ability to liaise with government ministries, build strategic partnerships, and align development interventions with national policy goals. Skilled in Agile project management, having led complex donor-funded programmes, managed ministry budget lines, and spearheaded successful resource mobilization efforts. Currently pursuing a PhD in Psychology, with a focus on child rights and protection systems.

 

Key Competencies

• Child and Youth Development in High- and Low-Resource Contexts 
• Agile Project Management and Field-based programmme implementation
• Government Liaison and Policy Advocacy
• Multisectoral Partnership Building (Health, Education, Gender, Child Protection)
• Mental Health Promotion in community-based systems
• Donor-Funded Project Management
• Resource Mobilization and ministry budget line administration
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Frameworks
• Training and Capacity Development for Social Workforce 
• Data-Driven Decision-Making & policy briefs development

 

Education

• PhD in Psychology (Research), University of Zambia (Expected 2026)
• Master of Arts in Child and Adolescent Psychology, University of Zambia (2019)
• Bachelor of Arts with Education (Major: Psychology, Minor: English), University of Zambia (2006)
• Studied Bachelor of Special Education, University of Zambia (2001–2004)
• Grade 12 Certificate, Mwense Secondary School, Zambia (1998)

 

Professional Experience

Provincial Child Development Coordinator and Gender Focal Point

Ministry of Community Development and Social Services – Chinsali, Zambia | Mar 2013 – Jan 2022

• Coordinated child protection and gender mainstreaming programs across 10+ districts.
• Led Anti-GBV provincial initiatives and supervised compliance monitoring teams.
• Managed provincial child rights outreach campaigns and training for social workers.

 

Senior Child Development Officer – Child Protection Unit

Ministry of Gender and Child Development – Lusaka, Zambia | Feb 2010 – Mar 2013

• Facilitated national campaigns addressing early child marriage and child abuse.
• Coordinated with donors and NGOs to implement child safeguarding policies.
• Supervised policy development workshops in collaboration with ministries.

 

Child Development Officer

Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development – Kasama, Zambia | Jan 2007 – Feb 2010

• Implemented district-level child protection activities.
• Monitored adherence to national child welfare regulations in schools and clinics.
• Trained traditional leaders on children’s rights and psychosocial support.

 

Publications & Presentations

Mwewa, H. M. (2018). Exploration of the Zambia Child Protection System: Addressing Causes and Psychological Effects of Early Marriages in Girls of Chinsali District. University of Zambia Repository.

Scheduled: Colloquium Presentation at the University of Wuppertal (2025)

 

Teaching and Facilitation

Tutor, University of Zambia, Department of Distance Education (2006)

Facilitator: Anti-GBV Task Forces, Youth & Gender Expert in the Zambia Feed Africa Programme Feasibility Study

 

Languages

English (fluent), Bemba (fluent), Nyanja (fluent) and currently learning German A1.

 

References

Available upon request

 

Title and abstract of thesis project: 

Proposed thesis title: “A qualitative study exploring the application of psychological principles to address child marriage in Chinsali District.”

Abstract:
Child marriage is a violation of human rights. Despite the significant psychological consequences of child marriage for girls, this issue has not received the documentation necessary to warrant the desired changes in practices. As a means of addressing child marriage, there is a need to strengthen the Child Protection System. This study highlights how the Child Protection System needs to align with its context and address the relevant needs of children, families, communities, structures, institutions, and society for which it is designed to serve. Therefore, this study proposes to apply psychological principles as a potential approach to inform the strengthening of the Child Protection System. The study will employ participatory action research to collect qualitative information from 140 participants comprising stakeholders in child development. This study denotes a relativist ontology, implying that the context is important and needs to be interpreted in relation to both the researcher’s and the participants’ approaches and backgrounds. The interpretivist researchers focus on language, signs, and meanings from the perspective of the participants and the researcher’s own beliefs and values. Data analysis in the interpretivist paradigm is iterative and simultaneous, allowing researchers to correct flaws in their interview protocols or change their research questions.

Papers already presented:

Mwewa, H. M. (2018). Draft report presentation on the exploration of the Zambia Child Protection System: Addressing causes and psychological effects of early marriages in girls of Chinsali District. Made an oral presentation during the national conference held on March 28th and 29th, 2018 in Lusaka under the theme “Psychology for National Development.” The objective was to share knowledge, experiences, and advance research partnerships and collaborations in the field of psychology.
 

Other academic activities and memberships:
 

Participated in a project as a Youth and Gender Expert entitled: “Feasibility Study and Detailed Design for Zambia Feed African Programme - Agriculture Commodity Corridors, Youth in Agri-business & Risk Sharing Facility,” 2017 - 2018. The project was funded by the African Development Bank through the Zambia Ministry of Agriculture.

Worked as a focal point person in the Ministry of Gender and Child Development and the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) during a project entitled: “Child Protection System Mapping and Assessment” that produced and published a report in 2012.
 

Certificates

Gender and Entrepreneurship Together (GET) Ahead for Women in Enterprises - 2014

Zambia Country Training on Comprehensive Sexuality Education - 2012

Awarded a certificate of completion in a project for imparting assertiveness training to 54 adolescents at Mother Teresa Home of Charity, 2005.

Awarded a certificate of completion in course requirements and contributed toward building cross-cultural awareness and community service, 2005.

 

 

Neuigkeiten

10th July 2025: 

Seminar presentation at the Institute of Psychology, Friedrichstraße 40


For more information, see here: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4547-4769