Growing up in Jack Township, an overcrowded community struggling with poor sanitation, high teen pregnancies, and frequent cases of sexual violence, 23-year-old Loveness has lived through daily challenges that shape many young women’s lives in similar urban areas of Zambia. At 19, she became pregnant and had to leave school in Grade 10. The bullying she faced at school and the judgment from her community deeply affected her mental health and left her feeling like her dreams had slipped away.
“I felt like my life had paused,” she says quietly. “People judged me, and I almost believed my future was over.”
Although she later returned to study for her Grade 12 exams, the risks around her remained.
Her turning point came when she met Ethel Chulu, a Tiko Mobiliser working within the community. Ethel was visiting households to educate young people about HIV prevention and new options available to them. Loveness remembers that day with clarity.
“Ethel spoke to me like a sister. She explained things I never knew about my body, HIV, and how I could protect myself. No one had ever taken time to teach me like that.”
Through Ethel, she joined Tiko’s youth-friendly spaces and enrolled into the Tiko digital platform, an easy and supportive process that connected her to services and peer educators without judgment. For the first time in years, Loveness felt she had entered a space built for girls like her.
In the youth-friendly spaces, she met other young women who had faced similar challenges. They sat in circles, shared stories, laughed, and learned together. Peer educators used simple language to explain topics she had never fully understood like how HIV is transmitted, how to negotiate safer sex, how to spot signs of unhealthy or abusive relationships, and how to protect her mental and emotional wellbeing. No question was treated as “too embarrassing” or “too late.”
The Tiko digital platform also became a turning point for her. With just a few clicks through her mobiliser’s phone, she was hearing about available services, nearby clinics, and how to request support discreetly.
“I felt safe for the first time. When I spoke, they listened. When I asked questions, they answered. I didn’t feel judged. I felt understood.”
Across the region, momentum was building. On World AIDS Day, Zambia became the first country in the world to introduce Lenacapavir as part of the HIV prevention package, marking a historic milestone for the African continent. Inspired by this, Loveness received the Lenacapavir PrEP injection, becoming the first young woman in Zambia to do so.
“I chose Lenacapavir because I want to stay HIV-free and focus on my dream. I am doing this for me and for my daughter. I finally feel safe,” she says.
Lenacapavir, often called “Len” is a new HIV prevention option that joins the existing tools young women already use. It is an injectable form of PrEP taken twice a year, providing protection through two injections every twelve months. Len works by blocking HIV from multiplying in the body if someone is exposed and helps people who are HIV negative to stay negative.
Len adds to the choices available to girls and young women. Some prefer daily oral PrEP, others rely on condoms or other methods, and now Len gives those who want a long-acting option something more flexible, something they can use privately, safely, and confidently based on their own lives and circumstances.
“Mwansa Njelesani-Kaira, our Country Director in Zambia, said: “We are proud to stand with the Ministry of Health and community partners as Lenacapavir becomes a real choice for young people in Zambia. Our commitment is to listen, learn and walk with adolescents and young women as they shape the HIV prevention services they deserve. Tiko remains committed to supporting the rollout of Len as part of integrated sexual and reproductive health and HIV prevention services across Zambia.”
The transformation has been powerful. With guidance from Tiko’s peer educators, Loveness now understands her health, her rights, and her choices. Her family, once burdened by the emotional and financial strain of her teen pregnancy, now sees her as a source of strength. She openly encourages other girls to learn early and protect themselves.
“If someone had taught me these things earlier, my life would have been different. But now I can help other girls make better choices.”
Loveness is determined to pursue her dream of joining the Zambia Defence Force, and she believes staying healthy and HIV-free is a key part of that journey.