Wakakosha: Residential Course on Internal Stigma 

Overview

Wakakosha (I’m Worth It) is an evidence-based, peer-led residential intervention designed to address internal stigma and improve quality of life among young people aged 18–24, including young people living with HIV, sex workers, and survivors of violence. Originally developed and pioneered in Zimbabwe, the programme was layered into the Zvandiri model and has since evolved into a robust, adaptable intervention that can be delivered in residential courses and subsequently rolled out by trained Coaches in structured community formats.

Wakakosha combines Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR), mindfulness and meditation practices, and creative expression to support young people to move from shame and internal stigma towards self-worth, compassion and agency. It is structured around five core thematic blocks that guide participants through a carefully sequenced journey of reflection and growth. Sessions include work on stigma, judgement, relationships, shame, guilt and forgiveness; disclosure; body, sex and relationships; ARVs and My Future. The five-block structure allows the programme to be adapted to different contexts while retaining fidelity to its core methodology. Through the course, participants are supported to understand internal stigma, identify and question stressful beliefs, strengthen emotional regulation, and reconnect with hope and possibility.

The programme is delivered by Beyond Stigma in partnership with trained Coaches and Zvandiri Community Adolescent Treatment Supporters (CATS) who have progressed through the programme’s leadership track. These peer facilitators are carefully trained and mentored, ensuring high-quality, safe and culturally grounded delivery. The intervention has been robustly evaluated, and evidence from three peer-reviewed journal articles, included in the table above, demonstrate its effectiveness in reducing internal stigma and improving psychosocial wellbeing. 

Scale Up and Adaptation

Since its development in Zimbabwe, Wakakosha has demonstrated both effectiveness and cultural adaptability, enabling expansion across multiple contexts. Between 2024 and 2025, 156 young people completed the Wakakosha residential course: 32 in Rwanda, 28 in Zimbabwe, 42 in Ghana, 30 in South Africa, and 24 in Zambia. 

In one of the more recent courses, in South Africa, pre and post surveys conducted six weeks apart demonstrated sustained improvements in wellbeing. Weekly follow-up “nudges” via WhatsApp reinforced self-inquiry, meditation, journalling and creative reflection practices, strengthening habit formation and emotional literacy. Graduates were then supported to roll out the Beyond Stigma four-session Peer Support Guide in their local communities, significantly extending reach and embedding the methodology within partner networks.

This scale-up model positions Wakakosha not as a one-off intervention, but as a sustainable youth-led ecosystem. Trained peer leaders multiply impact, strengthen community-based support, and embed internal stigma reduction practices within existing youth and HIV programming structures.

Impact on Participants

Across its implementation sites, Wakakosha has consistently demonstrated transformative impact and has been published in peer review journals. From the earliest courses in Zimbabwe to more recent programmes in South Africa and Zambia, participants report profound shifts in self worth, emotional regulation and safety and confidence.

A theme that across settings is the creation of emotional safety. Over the course of the residential experience, participants increasingly share openly and without fear. Young people describe feeling “allowed to be ourselves” and “free and open”, often for the first time. Many articulate a deep sense of self acceptance: “I am worth it… despite my status.” Understanding of internal stigma deepens progressively throughout the programme. Participants move from an initial conceptual awareness to more personal reflection, recognising how stigma has affected their lives. Reflections such as “Stigma comes from ourselves”, “I am my own enemy”, and “I need to start unlearning that” illustrate this shift. Through IBSR, participants learn to question and reframe harmful beliefs, gaining practical tools to manage intrusive thoughts and emotional triggers. As one participant reflected, “I have learned that I am stronger than I give myself credit for.”

Creative expression and mindfulness practices are consistently identified as particularly impactful. Writing, singing and meditation help participants process painful experiences and develop emotional regulation skills. “Writing helped me remove everything hurting inside,” shared one participant, while another reflected, “Meditation helped me calm down and focus.” These practices are not confined to the residential setting; follow-up support encourages ongoing journalling and meditation, reinforcing long-term change.

Sessions on disclosure and relationships enable young people to make informed, self-determined decisions about sharing their status. Discussions on body, sex and relationships strengthen confidence and agency, particularly for young women navigating gendered stigma. The ARVs and My Future block links psychosocial wellbeing with treatment adherence and future orientation, supporting a holistic view of health that integrates emotional, relational and biomedical dimensions.

Overall, Wakakosha is proven to support young people to transition from internal stigma and shame to self-acceptance with evidence confirming what participants’ voices consistently express: when young people are provided with safe space, structured reflection, peer solidarity and practical cognitive tools, internal stigma is transformed into self-worth — and self-worth becomes the foundation for resilience, advocacy and lasting change.

Wakakosha also has a leadership track option that supports participants to become Coaches with ongoing opportunities for depth through training mentorship, practice and leadership over a longer period of time.