History of ZCEA

Zambia Civic Education Association was formed in September 1993. It was formed by three lawyers, namely Lucy Banda Sichone, Christine Kunda and Elias Chipimo Jr. From the beginning Christine and Elias took an advisory role and Lucy took the Executive role and she was the Executive Director of the organisation until her untimely death on August 1998. After Lucy’s demise Mrs. Astrida Kapita became E. D. After her came Ms. Betty Majula Mungomba, then Mrs. Ada Lopa and currently Ms. Judith Mulenga. At the time of Lucy’s death, ZCEA used to rent its offices where Tokyo Laundry is, number 1 Butwa Court on Great East Road Northmead side. Then it moved to rent offices at 21A Chaoli Road Rhodespark. In 2000 the Norwegian Embassy bought the property on Plot 2/1836 Azikiwe Crescent, off Manchinchi Road in Northmead for ZCEA.

The embassy’s magnanimous gesture was to both assist the sustenance of ZCEA and also as an appreciation of the contribution that Lucy had made to the growth of civil society organisations in Zambia. On Friday 29th August 2008 the property was launched into the Lucy Sichone Memorial House and the Guest of Honour was the Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission, Mrs Pixie Yangailo and the launch was attended by Lucy’s children biological and the adopted ones as well as her family and friends including her co founding partner, Mr Elias Chipimo Jr. The Embassy of Norway was represented by the First Secretary at the embassy, Ms. Anne Fredricksen.

ZCEA is a non governmental, not for profit human rights organisation registered under the Registrar of Societies Act in 1993 registration number ORS/102/35/805. It was formed to empower the Zambian citizenry in coping with the then new democratic dispensation. The founder members sought to assist the development of democratic process in Zambia as well as promote Justice. This was to be done through increasing and creating awareness amongst citizens about their duties and responsibilities under the Constitution. The founders believed that it is in the execution of duties and responsibilities that bestow rights, privileges and equality for all before the Law. 

Since inception, the organization’s programmes have been around human rights, governance and democratic issues. In 2002, ZCEA decided to focus on Children’s Rights. In line with the underlying principles contained in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the African Charter on the People’s and Human Rights (ACPHR) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC).

ZCEA’s has been contributing to the attainment of a society where people enjoy all fundamental rights justice and human dignity prevails.  It lobbies for the strengthening of laws that protect children and for child visible public policies and monitors the implementation of existing laws and policies. ZCEA’s activities are capacity building through training, information dissemination, awareness raising, development and provision of IEC materials, lobbying, policy analysis and monitoring implementation, research, coalition building and networking, engagement with policy makers and organisational development through reflective learning.