Zanmi Lasante brought together 24 representatives of public institutions, international organizations, civil society organizations and community structures on June 4, 2026 at the Centre National de Formation de l’Hôpital Sainte-Thérèse in Hinche. The meeting aimed to strengthen the protection of women, children and other vulnerable people in the Centre department.
A person exposed to violence, abuse, exploitation or harassment must be able to report what they are experiencing, be directed to the right service and receive support without being exposed to further risk. The institutions that receive these reports need clear procedures, trained staff, functional referral circuits and solid links with other players in the territory.
The Zanmi Lasante Safeguarding Office organized this meeting to enable the actors present to share their experiences, identify the services available in the Center, assess existing complaints mechanisms and work on common priorities.
Representatives from public institutions, protection structures, community organizations and partners involved in supporting vulnerable people took part in the exchanges. Their presence enabled us to approach protection from the perspective of the realities encountered in services, communities, schools, families, care structures and emergency facilities.
Me. Kénel Mede, Zanmi Lasante’s Safeguarding and Equity Manager, presented the main components of the organization’s safeguarding program. Discussions revisited the mechanisms put in place to prevent abuse, protect those concerned, deal with complaints and reinforce a culture of accountability within departments.
At Zanmi Lasante, safeguarding concerns the way services are organized, the way teams interact with patients and communities, and the way complaints are received, analyzed and directed. It requires constant attention to the risks that vulnerable people may encounter in care structures, community programs and interventions carried out in the field.
Zanmi Lasante shared several advances made in recent years, including the development of awareness-raising tools adapted to community realities, the establishment of a complaints management mechanism and the training of around 2,000 employees in safeguarding principles and the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.
Discussions showed the importance of the network around the people concerned. Participants presented the services available for child victims of abuse, abandonment or exploitation, survivors of violence, women in need of psychosocial support or temporary accommodation, as well as cases requiring judicial, social or medical referral.
These contributions provided a better understanding of existing entry points, the limitations of available services and the difficulties encountered by institutions in their day-to-day work.
Participants identified several challenges that hinder access to protection: under-reporting of cases, fear of reprisals, stigmatization, limitations of referral systems, lack of human and financial resources, insecurity and difficulties accessing certain specialized services. These obstacles can delay access to care, discourage reporting, weaken case follow-up and prevent prompt care.
The interactive activity “The Safeguarding Thermometer” enabled the institutions present to assess their complaints mechanisms. Participants were asked to position themselves according to the existence, accessibility and effectiveness of these mechanisms in their organizations. The exercise confirmed that several institutions already have reporting mechanisms in place. It also showed that these mechanisms need to be better known by the communities, more accessible and more effective for the people who need them.
The mapping of players then enabled us to identify the services available in the Centre, the expertise present in the territory and the collaboration mechanisms already in place. A person reporting violence or abuse must be able to be directed quickly to the right interlocutors, without being lost in a fragmented system.
The day concluded with a joint action plan. Recommendations include reinvigorating the GBV/Protection sector table, creating a Sauvegarde/PESAH/VBG departmental network, organizing specialized safeguard training, strengthening referral mechanisms and advocating for the adoption of a standardized medical certificate for survivors of gender-based violence.
These recommendations respond to concrete needs: clarifying responsibilities, facilitating referrals, improving the quality of responses, strengthening the skills of institutions and reducing the obstacles faced by vulnerable people when seeking help.
The June 4 meeting brought together institutions operating at different levels of the protection system in the Centre. It gave them a space to identify problems, share practices and define common actions.
Women, children, people with disabilities, patients, program participants and communities must be able to access services that protect and guide them seriously. Zanmi Lasante will continue to work with relevant actors to strengthen these mechanisms and support more coordinated, accessible and safe responses.
Protecting vulnerable people requires services that can prevent abuse, receive complaints, refer survivors, and coordinate responses across institutions. This work requires time, training, clear mechanisms and an ongoing presence in communities.Your support helps Zanmi Lasante strengthen systems of care and protection for people living in difficult contexts.