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Brian Ligomeka, Director of SAAF grantee partner CSJ News was moved to found the organisation following the death of his niece from unsafe abortion. Working on abortion rights advocacy in Malawi has not been easy, but Brian is determined to see women and girls in his country get safe and non-judgemental support.

He shares his story with us, including the organisation's advocacy to push for the 'Termination of Pregnancy Bill', the discussion of which has now been delayed for years:

"Ten years ago you would not have had a TV or radio show discussing abortion – it was a taboo, no one would have accepted this. But now it’s happening, we have broken the barriers and the silence is shattered.

Chiefs, human rights lawyers, and even young people are freely speaking on the need for abortion law reform.That to me is a huge achievement in a setting where abortion is so highly restricted."

In the past year CSJ News has taken its successful training on safe abortion to actors, dramatists and performers. They recognise the importance that music, dance and theatre holds in the local communities they work with and adapt real-life stories to educate people on the realities of a restrictive abortion law.

Kattie is one of the actors who was trained and who changed her knowledge and understanding of abortion:

"For an actress like me, it has helped me to properly portray these stories and advocate for what I think is right.

Because the plays we create on gender and abortion rights are fun and relatable, people have come out to tell us that they have changed their mindset and attitudes after watching."