Headquartered on Los Angeles Boulevard • Lusaka, Zambia

Faith Meeting Action to Heal Communities Across Zambia

Circle of Hope Zambia (CoH) is a faith-based non-governmental organization led by Executive Director Gibstar Makangila. Guided by our core values of Responsibility, Empathy, Compassion, Integrity, Passion, and Ethics, we decentralize HIV testing, same-day treatment, prevention, and primary care out of congested hospitals directly into neighborhoods where families live and work.

Executive Leadership

Gibstar Makangila, Executive Director

Lusaka HQ

National Headquarters

Los Angeles Boulevard, Lusaka, Zambia

Provincial Operations

Lusaka, Central, Northwestern & Copperbelt Provinces

Our Guiding Principles

The Six Core Values of Circle of Hope

Click any value to view how it guides our field teams

Our Mission & Philosophy

Decentralizing Care From Central Hospitals to Local Communities

Traditional hospital-based care often creates distance, stigma, and waiting barriers that prevent families—especially men, adolescents, and children—from accessing timely diagnosis and treatment. Circle of Hope transforms healthcare delivery by meeting people right where they gather.

Static Community Posts

Envisioned and developed for the Zambian context by Circle of Hope, our Community Posts embed clinical and psychosocial teams directly inside bustling markets, transit hubs, and community centers.

Faith-Engaged Trust

By partnering closely with local faith leaders, congregations, and community elders, CoH eliminates stigma, builds deep neighborhood trust, and pairs compassionate spiritual support with clinical excellence.

Same-Day Care & Continuity

Clients receive confidential HIV testing, same-day antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, differentiated ART refills, and primary healthcare without multi-day clinic referral drop-offs.

National Reach

Active Across Four Zambian Provinces

Select a province below to view Circle of Hope's local healthcare delivery, youth empowerment, and health-system strengthening presence.

GM

Executive Leadership

Gibstar Makangila

Executive Director, Circle of Hope Zambia

Co-Author, The Lancet Pediatric HIV Analysis

Global Advocate for Community-Led Health Financing

Leadership Perspective

“This is more than just funding; it’s about the lives of mothers, fathers, and children who rely on these programs to survive and thrive. It’s about faith meeting action to heal communities.”

Under Gibstar Makangila's executive leadership, Circle of Hope Zambia has grown from local community outreach in Lusaka into a nationally recognized champion for decentralized HIV care, pediatric treatment equity, and resilient community health systems.

Core Interventions

Community-Centered Healthcare, Youth Empowerment & Health Systems Strengthening

Circle of Hope delivers holistic care across Zambia—combining static Community Posts with clinical prevention, youth sports mentorship, and rigorous health data capacity building.

Flagship Care Delivery Model

The Static Community Post (CP) Model

Envisioned and developed for the Zambian context by Circle of Hope, the Community Post Model is a Faith-Engaged Community Model of care designed to improve the efficiency and efficacy of HIV case finding, linkage to treatment, and long-term continuity in care.

Rather than requiring patients to travel to distant central ART facilities, CoH establishes welcoming static Community Posts inside busy, high-activity community hubs—staffed by clinical officers, lay counselors, and local Community Health Workers.

01 • Targeted Case Finding

High-Activity Community Placement

Community mapping and faith-leader engagement place posts directly in markets, transit stations, and neighborhoods to reach men, youth, and families missed by hospitals.

02 • Immediate Linkage

Same-Day ART Initiation

Individuals newly diagnosed with HIV are clinically assessed and initiated on antiretroviral therapy on the exact same day right at the Community Post.

03 • Differentiated Delivery

Continuity & Viral Suppression

Differentiated ART delivery models, peer Expert Clients, and localized follow-up sustain high retention and long-term viral load suppression (VLS).

04 • Comprehensive Prevention

Integrated Prevention Entry Point

Individuals testing HIV-negative are seamlessly linked to prevention counselling, PrEP, and VMMC referrals to keep communities healthy.

Clinical & Primary Care

Comprehensive Healthcare Services

Delivered across Central, Northwestern, Copperbelt, and Lusaka provinces, Circle of Hope provides an integrated continuum of HIV prevention, treatment, and everyday primary healthcare.

HIV Testing & Counselling (HTS)

Confidential, stigma-free rapid HIV testing, partner index testing, and client-centered risk counselling at static Community Posts and mobile hot spots.

ART Initiation & Differentiated Care

Same-day antiretroviral therapy initiation, clinical monitoring, viral load tracking, and flexible community drug pick-up schedules.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)

Proactive biomedical HIV prevention counseling, initiation, and adherence support for serodiscordant couples and individuals at elevated risk.

VMMC Referrals & Men's Health

Active community mobilization and warm referrals for Voluntary Male Medical Circumcision (VMMC) alongside male-friendly health consultations.

Prevention Counselling

Culturally grounded behavioral risk-reduction education, condom distribution, and family health dialogues led by trusted peer educators.

Primary Healthcare Delivery

Accessible front-line primary health screenings, vital signs checks, maternal-child health referrals, and general wellness support at the community level.

Adolescents & Young People

Youth Empowerment Through Safe Spaces & Sports

Circle of Hope invests in the next generation by combining mentorship, peer safe spaces, and structured athletics to equip adolescents and young adults with life skills and health knowledge.

Safe Spaces & Girls' Mentorship

Malaika-Destiny

Malaika-Destiny establishes trusted, supportive safe spaces where adolescents and young people—particularly adolescent girls and young women—build confidence, life skills, and peer solidarity.

• Age-appropriate HIV awareness and sexual & reproductive health education
• Targeted teenage pregnancy prevention and school retention encouragement
• Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention, empowerment, and safe referral pathways

Building Resilient, Informed Young Leaders

Sports-Based Youth Mobilization

Kick for Greatness

Kick for Greatness harnesses the unifying power of community sports to engage youth in constructive recreation while opening honest, peer-led conversations around health and dignity.

• Combines organized football and athletic tournaments with HIV testing & prevention outreach
• Engages young men and boys in positive masculinity and GBV prevention
• Connects youth athletes directly to youth-friendly health services at nearby Community Posts

Sports as a Catalyst for Youth Health & Respect

Data Integrity & Workforce Excellence

Capacity Building & Health Information Systems

Sustainable community healthcare requires accurate electronic records and continuous mentorship. Circle of Hope equips clinical staff and community health volunteers with rigorous data skills.

DQA

Data Quality Assessment

Routine verification and auditing of facility and Community Post registers to ensure accurate, reliable patient reporting.

SmartCare

SmartCare Orientation

Hands-on training in Zambia's national electronic health record (EHR) system to track continuity of care and viral suppression.

M&E

Monitoring & Evaluation

Empowering frontline teams and volunteers to analyze local trends and continuously improve linkage and retention outcomes.

Global & National Voice

Advocacy, Research & Community Health News

Circle of Hope Zambia champions sustained investment in community-led HIV responses, pediatric treatment equity, and life-saving programs such as PEPFAR.

Press Release Peer-Reviewed Global Health Research

Published in The Lancet

Lancet Report Warns: 500,000 Children Could Die from AIDS-Related Causes by 2030 Without Sustained PEPFAR Support

500,000

Children at risk of AIDS-related death by 2030 without sustained funding

57%

Of children living with HIV globally are currently on treatment

U.S. Congress

Cited in Congressional hearings & shared with global policymakers

A landmark article in The Lancet co-authored by Circle of Hope Executive Director Gibstar Makangila, alongside Dr. Susan Hillis, Prof. Lucie Cluver, Dr. Azadeh Ansari, and fellow global health experts, has sounded an urgent warning on the need to protect and strengthen funding for the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

The report reveals that children are being left behind in the global HIV response, with only 57% of children living with HIV currently receiving antiretroviral treatment. Without urgent intervention and sustained funding, nearly half a million children could die from AIDS-related causes by 2030.

This critical publication has been quoted around the world, referenced directly in U.S. Congressional hearings, and shared with top decision-makers globally. Circle of Hope Zambia continues to amplify this evidence-based advocacy so that no child is left behind in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

#HIVAwareness #PEPFAR #ChildHealth #TheLancet #EndAIDS2030

View Publication at The Lancet ↗

Executive Commentary Community Health Sustainability

Gibstar Makangila • U.S. Media Feature

What Does the PEPFAR Stop Work Order Mean for Communities Like Ours?

“This is more than just funding; it’s about the lives of mothers, fathers, and children who rely on these programs to survive and thrive. It’s about faith meeting action to heal communities.”
— Gibstar Makangila, Executive Director, Circle of Hope Zambia

In a featured perspective shared with major U.S. media, Circle of Hope Executive Director Gibstar Makangila examined the real-world human consequences of the Stop Work Order affecting PEPFAR and USAID-supported HIV programs.

For decades, PEPFAR has served as a lifeline for millions living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, empowering faith-based organizations like Circle of Hope to deliver dignified, accessible care at the community doorstep. Interruptions in community health post operations risk reversing years of progress in HIV case finding, same-day treatment initiation, and viral suppression.

Circle of Hope stands in solidarity with frontline health workers, community volunteers, and families across Zambia—calling for uninterrupted support for community-anchored healthcare systems that save lives every single day.

#CommunityHealthcare #CommunityPostServices #PepfarSavingLives #CommunitySolidarity

Global Technical & Institutional Alliances

Strategic Partners & Collaborative Initiatives

Circle of Hope Zambia collaborates with international humanitarian agencies, global health initiatives, and faith-based consortia to scale Zambia's Community Post Model regionally and globally.

Co-Development & Scale-Up Partner 2018 – Present

Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Circle of Hope envisioned and developed the static Community Post (CP) Model for the Zambian context with technical and operational support from Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

✓ Urban Pilot to National Footprint: Jointly launched initial Community Posts in Lusaka before expanding across urban and rural Zambian provinces.

✓ Faith-Engaged Care Delivery: Integrated church networks, community leaders, and clinical teams to achieve rapid case identification and same-day ART initiation.

✓ Curriculum Co-Creation: Standardized field operations into formal facilitator and participant training guides for replication beyond Zambia.

Recognized PEPFAR Solution Urban & Rural Impact

PEPFAR & USAID Collaboration

Circle of Hope was officially highlighted as a PEPFAR Solution for increasing HIV case finding, linkage to care, and long-term treatment retention in both rural and urban settings.

✓ Differentiated Service Delivery (DSD): Aligned Community Posts with PEPFAR epidemic-control goals to decongest central ART facilities.

✓ Reaching Underserved Populations: Proven high testing yields among adult men, adolescents, young people, and children.

✓ Global Funding Advocacy: Active leadership advocating for sustained PEPFAR and USAID investments to protect pediatric and community HIV gains.

2021 Scale-Up Initiative • FASTER Project

Faith-based Action for Scaling Up Testing and Treatment for Epidemic Response (FASTER)

The FASTER Project supported the development of an official, comprehensive training package to scale up Circle of Hope's Community Post Model within Zambia and internationally. The complete curriculum includes a Facilitator's Training Guide, a Participant's Guide, and 11 PowerPoint Training Modules.

Connect With Us

Contact Circle of Hope Zambia

Reach our headquarters in Lusaka for community healthcare inquiries, youth program information, media interviews, or technical collaboration.

Headquarters Address

Los Angeles Boulevard

Lusaka, Zambia

Telephone

+260 211 273 497

Monday – Friday • 08:00 – 17:00 CAT

Social Media & Field Updates

Circle of Hope Zambia Facebook Page

Follow live community outreach updates, press releases, and youth program stories from across our provincial sites.

Visit Circle of Hope Zambia on Facebook ↗

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