Self-Defence is Self-Worth: How SAFIGI Empowered Women Through Body Safety Training
- Subilo Malema
- Jun 24
- 2 min read
"Your body is your wealth. Your safety, your power. Your freedom, your joy."
On May 31st, 2025, SAFIGI Outreach Foundation hosted a transformative Body Safety & Self-Defence Training at Global Platform Zambia (GPZ), aimed at empowering girls and young women to defend themselves and reclaim their autonomy.
This wasn’t just a training it was a healing space, and a bold act of resistance against violence.
Why We Did It
This training emerged from SAFIGI’s ongoing mission to make safety real and accessible for at-risk girls and young women through our body safety module, It served four core objectives:
Equip participants with practical self-defence skills
Raise awareness on bodily autonomy and boundary setting
Build partnerships and strengthen advocate
Who Attended?
Our attendees included:
Girls and women aged 18 to 55, including a mother-daughter duo
Frontline activists, mentors, and community advocates
SAFIGI program beneficiaries and supporters
What We Covered
Led by professional MMA trainer Nicholas Mpongwe, participants learned:
Basic stances and techniques to protect themselves
Escape strategies from common attacks
Situational awareness and verbal de-escalation tactics
Groundwork and self-assessment tools for holistic safety
Throughout the training, discussions focused on bodily autonomy, boundary setting, and recognising signs of danger.
Impact and Fundraising
Notably, Sustainable Care Foundation and Sistah Sistah Foundation sponsored participant slots, strengthening the network of organisations championing girls’ safety.
What We Learned
The impact went beyond numbers:
Increased confidence and skills among participants
A stronger community dialogue around body safety
Requests for follow-up sessions and more digital resources
Looking Ahead
To build on this momentum, SAFIGI plans to:
Engage schools and youth hubs earlier in future outreach
Create digital toolkits for ongoing learning
Promote events earlier and across wider platforms
Our Gratitude
To our participants, trainers, partners, and supporters — thank you. Your belief in this mission fuels our fight for a safer, freer world for girls and women.
Want to support our next training?
Email us or donate to keep girls safe, strong, and free.
#MyBodyMyWealth #GirlsSafety #SAFIGI #SelfDefenceZambia #FeministSafety #Empowerment #TrainToProtect
Subilo Malema is a Gender Equality Advocate | Feminist Leader | Youth Empowerment Champion.
She is a passionate advocate for gender equality, human rights with a strong focus on feminist ideals, social justice, and youth empowerment. Her strength lies in ensuring the safety, rights, and leadership of young women and girls, especially in areas like Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Climate Justice, and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). she believes in the power of intersectional approaches that consider race, class, gender, age, and disability to drive meaningful change.
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