Herr Humphrey Musongo Mwewa

Developmental Psychology, University of Zambia

Biografie

Self-motivated with more than 12 years of solid experience managing child development, prevention and protection, and gender mainstreaming in the province, including budgeting and administration.

 

• Child Development Officer, 01/2007 to 02/2010 | Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development – Kasama, Zambia
  Supervised and undertook compliance surveys and ensured adherence to and implementation of child rights standards as assigned by the Provincial Child Development Coordinator.
   
• Senior Child Development Officer – Child Protection Unit, 02/2010 to 03/2013 | Ministry of Gender and Child Development – Lusaka, Zambia
  Supervised and undertook child rights advocacy and facilitated child protection and survival.
   
• Provincial Child Development Coordinator/Gender Focal Point Person, Muchinga Province, 03/2013 to Date/ 01/2022. | Ministry of Community Development and Social Services – Chinsali, Zambia 11/2021 to Date
  i. Supervises and undertakes compliance surveys to ensure adherence to and implementation of child rights standards in the province.
  ii. Supervised and undertook gender mainstreaming programmes to facilitate gender-responsive programming in all sectors.

 

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.