Protection starts at home

A lack of services in remote Karamoja to keep children safe leaves children vulnerable to exploitation and harm. Many harmful practices are deeply woven into traditional survival strategies, designed to withstand one of East Africa’s harshest environments.

In the last 12 months, Child Protection Teams in Karamoja have helped over 6,450 children in their communities. From stopping incidents of trafficking and exploitation to supporting parents on safer ways to raise their children.  

Where traditional services are lacking, Child Protection Teams help create safety nets in their community to make their environment safer for everyone. It’s a homegrown solution that works because it is driven by the community itself.

The six teams are led by Edrine Nsenge, who grew up in Karamoja and faced many of the hardships that children are living with. As a young adult, he was trained as a member of his local Child Protection Team in Jinja district by Children on the Edge Africa. Through this process, Edrine saw how community action protects children and creates a safer environment for everyone. When he returned home to Karamoja (which is seven hours north of Jinja), he set out to replicate the model and extend that same protection to children in his home region.

Generational parenting habits don’t change with a leaflet drop; they change by investing in people. Our local volunteers are guiding families to find new, safer ways to raise their children - respecting the rich Karamojong culture while helping elders, parents, and youth work side-by-side to evolve their traditions. Your doubled donation will power a massive, coordinated effort to bring everyone together and protect the next generation.