Ubuntu for Chibolya: Youth-Led Clean-Up Transforms Community Streets

Lusaka, Zambia – October 31, 2025

Chibolya is emerging as a community of peace and responsibility, led by its youth. Under the theme “Ubuntu for Chibolya,” a youth-led community clean-up took place on October 31, organized by the Junior Council of Lusaka City Council and local youth organizations.

Chibolya Old Mosque Peace Mural painted during the HWPL Peace Assembly in September 2025

The clean-up began at Chibolya Old Mosque, a symbolic site where faith and community unite. In September, the HWPL Peace Assembly brought together religious leaders, government officials, youth, and residents at the same location to paint a Peace Mural under the theme “Ubuntu for Chibolya.” This mural symbolizes unity beyond religion and age. This month’s clean-up turned the mural’s message of peace into tangible action on Chibolya’s streets.

IPYG Zambia Youth Leaders Peace Conference on May 26, 2025

Following the IPYG Zambia Youth Leaders Peace Conference on May 26, 2025, youth leaders from the Junior Councillors and other organizations strengthened their commitment to community service, encouraging young people to take ownership of their environment and engage in peacebuilding activities.

Since then, Chibolya has become one of Lusaka’s most active wards, voluntarily organizing “Clean Up, Crime Down” campaigns and showing how youth leadership drives positive social change.

Mr. Benard Kambole, Junior Councillor of the Lusaka City Council, said, “I envision Kanyama and Chibolya becoming clean places where everyone can live in peace. I want people in Chibolya to proudly say, ‘I come from Chibolya, where we all take responsibility for our environment.’ This inspires me to keep working, because real change begins when we start taking ownership of our communities.”

The Clean Up, Crime Down campaign, part of the Crime-Free Zone Lusaka 2025 Project led by HWPL Zambia Branch, aims to create a safer and more peaceful Lusaka through community-driven action and civic participation. First launched in Kalingalinga earlier this year, the movement has expanded across Lusaka, with Junior Councillors guiding youth in volunteer work and peacebuilding activities in each ward.

This local initiative aligns with HWPL’s global Legislate Peace (LP) Campaign, which promotes the DPCW as a legal foundation for lasting peace. HWPL, an international peace organization working to institutionalize peace through law and cooperation, carries out youth-focused peacebuilding initiatives worldwide through its affiliated youth organization, the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG). By empowering youth and engaging communities, HWPL and IPYG bridge grassroots action with international peacebuilding, demonstrating how sustainable peace begins with civic responsibility and shared vision.