South Africa

South Africa has been an important space for testing how Wakakosha principles translate across contexts, particularly in relation to gender-based violence. Work in South Africa has been shaped through collaboration with regional partners and facilitators, with a strong emphasis on shared learning rather than replication. Our Zimbabwean Wakakosha facilitators have played a key role in supporting delivery and adaptation, bringing peer-led experience and facilitation practice into new settings.

Zimbawe

Ireland

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Cambodia

Wakakosha South Africa:

In 2025, Beyond Stigma and Zvandiri, in partnership with Right to Care, delivered a six-day residential Wakakosha programme in South Africa for young people aged 18–24 from Limpopo, North West, and Northern Cape. The programme focused on supporting young peer supporters living with HIV to move from internal stigma towards self-worth, confidence, and leadership.

The intervention integrated peer support, Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR), creative expression, mindfulness, and tailored sessions on gender, shame, consent, and identity. Thirty participants completed the residential course, followed by structured aftercare through weekly WhatsApp “nudges” that reinforced skills such as meditation, journaling, creative coping, and inquiry practice.

Pre- and post-course assessments conducted six weeks apart showed sustained positive change, including:

A 12% increase in self-confidence
A 21% increase in constructive coping behaviours
A marked reduction in negative emotions such as shame and guilt
Increased pride, self-awareness, and emotional resilience

Participants reported applying Wakakosha tools to real-life challenges, transforming emotional responses such as anger and fear into calm, reflection, and self-compassion.

Leadership, Scale & What Comes Next

A core outcome of the South Africa programme was capacity building for scale. All 30 participants were equipped as peer leaders and supported to roll out the Wakakosha Peer Support Guide, a structured four-session model designed to extend impact within their own communities. Each cycle has the potential to reach 150+ additional young people, embedding stigma-reduction practice within existing networks. Learning from the South Africa programme is shaping the next phase of work, including: - Development of a GBV-specific stigma track - Creation of a Train-the-Trainers (ToT) pathway - Integration of effectiveness data into funding and scale-up proposals - Strengthening long-term peer leadership system The South Africa programme represents a key milestone in Beyond Stigma’s work, demonstrating how sustained, peer-led, and creatively grounded interventions can foster self-worth, resilience, and leadership among young people, while laying foundations for long-term impact.