In every community, children are among our most precious assets—and also among the most vulnerable. The purpose of the Child Protection programme is to ensure that children grow up free from abuse, neglect and exploitation, with the support they need to thrive and contribute.
We focus on building safe environments in homes, schools and community spaces: training parents and caregivers, empowering children to know their rights, strengthening local referral pathways and working with local authorities to ensure timely, appropriate response when a child is at risk.
As one young participant said: “I felt safe when someone asked me how I was and listened.” That simple act of listening can mean the difference between silent suffering and protection.
In practice, this means:
- Conducting rights-awareness sessions with children — what does safety look like, how to speak up when you feel unsafe?
- Engaging caregivers and community leaders to challenge harmful norms (for example child marriage, hazardous labour, corporal punishment) that jeopardise children’s wellbeing.
- Establishing or strengthening child-friendly complaint and feedback mechanisms — “If something worries me, I know who to talk to.”
- Partnering with local service providers (health, police, social welfare) so that when a case arises the response is timely and child-centred.
- Monitoring, evaluation and learning to identify trends (e.g., increase in abuse during emergencies) and adjust our approach.
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” — Frederick Douglass
By investing in child protection now, we are investing in the future of our communities — children who feel safe are more likely to stay in school, grow into responsible adults, and become leaders in their own right.
