22 percent exceeding 2021–2025 Strategic Plan cheers REPSSI CEO Patrick Onyango Mangen
“It was a year of extraordinary challenges: abrupt USAID stop-work orders, climate-induced emergencies, the Marburg virus outbreak in Tanzania, the Naparamas security crisis in Mozambique, political transitions in Tanzania and Uganda, and deepening socio-economic vulnerabilities across the region,”
REPSSI Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Patrick Onyango Mangen is elated that the organisation closed its 2021–2025 Strategic Plan by exceeding all programme targets by 22 percent, despite a year of unprecedented crises across East and Southern Africa.
By Staff Writer – Repssi Zambia
REPSSI Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Patrick Onyango Mangen has announced that the organisation closed its 2021–2025 Strategic Plan by exceeding all programme targets by 22 percent, despite a year of unprecedented crises across East and Southern Africa.
Mr. Mangen said this in the REPSSI 2025 Annual Report, in which he reflected on a period that was meant to be a celebratory finale for the organizations strategic cycle but instead became a stress test of epic proportions.
“It was a year of extraordinary challenges: abrupt USAID stop-work orders, climate-induced emergencies, the Marburg virus outbreak in Tanzania, the Naparamas security crisis in Mozambique, political transitions in Tanzania and Uganda, and deepening socio-economic vulnerabilities across the region,” Mr. Mangen reiterated.
Yet, in the face of these disruptions, Mr. Mangen affirmed that REPSSI’s programmes demonstrated resilience, adaptability and unwavering commitment to delivering high quality services to communities and families.
“Together, we reached 47,328 primary beneficiaries, trained 7,231 service providers, and facilitated 12,662 referrals and linkages, across all indicator categories, exceeding our combined targets by 22 percent,” Mr. Mangen maintained.
“These results affirm that our trauma informed community and family centred model is precisely what communities need when funding landscapes shift and humanitarian emergencies multiply.”
According to Mr. Mangen, the organisation’s regional advocacy footprint expanded significantly in 2025. REPSSI participated in the technical development of the African Union PCRD mental health guidelines, broadened the ACERWC General Comment on Drug and Substance Abuse to include mental health and successfully hosted the 8th MHPSS Regional Forum in Lusaka.
Mr. Mangen noted that these achievements underscore REPSSI’s role as both a community-based implementer and a continental thought leader.
Across the organisation’s four thematic areas—Health and SRHR, Protection and Sustainable Livelihoods, Education and ECD and Disaster Risk Reduction and Humanitarian Response;
Mr. Mangen highlighted specific innovations that delivered impact well beyond expectations. In Zimbabwe, the Think Equal social emotional learning model was endorsed for national scale-up.
Meanwhile, in Mozambique, a young mothers’ programme surpassed its targets. In Uganda, an adolescent clinic identified and safely referred young people experiencing suicidal ideation.
As REPSSI closes this strategic cycle, Mr. Mangen confirmed in the annual report that the organisation enters its next phase with a clear conscience of what needs to be done to sustain gains over the past strategy.
“We will diversify our funding portfolio and explore opportunities for internally generated funding, deepen MHPSS integration across all sectors, strengthen policy influencing, and invest in evidence generation,” Mr. Mangen said.
Mr. Mangen extended his deepest gratitude to the Board, staff, partners, donors and communities who stood with the organisation through this turbulent year.
“As we look ahead to our new Regional Strategy 2026–2030, REPSSI remains steadfast in its mission: to ensure that every child, adolescent, and family across our region can thrive in supportive environments,” Mr. Mangen concluded. – Rainbow Newspaper Zambia Limited Rainbow Newspaper Zambia Limited (RNZL) Kwilanzi News Zambia Kwilanzi New Zambia Zambian Children Young People and Women in Development (ZCYPWD) – Kwilanzi Newspaper Zambia (KNZ)
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