At first glance, 12-year-old Shakira Levison wasn't sure about joining the safe space. "I didn’t know what to expect and was a bit shy," she confesses. But curiosity sparked by a friend's enthusiasm nudged her to take the leap.

Tiwonge's (not real name) world was shattered when her sister handed her over as a 'gift' to her husband, thrusting her into a marriage she never consented to. Forced into a reality she couldn't comprehend, Tiwonge's innocence became a casualty of her sister's desperation.

Nkhotakota, Malawi – Early one February morning in 2024, 21-year-old Atupele Nyamula and her twin sister Shanil from Nyanji village set out to visit friends in the flood-ravaged lower parts of their community, to offer help amid the devastation caused by prolonged heavy rains.