Year of Reparation: Cross-Border Child Protection, Climate Change and Children’s Rights in Africa
Regional Representative of African Child Helplines Addresses the 45th ACERWC Session in Lesotho
Our Regional Representative for Africa, Michael Marwa, delivered a powerful statement during the opening days of the 45th Ordinary Session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), held in Maseru, Lesotho. The session brought together governments, civil society, youth, and development partners under the AU’s 2025 theme: […]
Voice Up Africa!
New initiative by African child helplines to disrupt online harms
On World Children’s Day (20 November 2024), in partnership with seven child helpline members in Eastern and Southern Africa, we officially kicked-off our “Voice Up Africa! Disrupting Harm by Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA)” project; a 2-year initiative funded by Safe Online. Initiated in July 2024, the Voice Up Africa! project brings together […]
Child Helplines in Africa: Advocating for Stronger Child Protection Mechanisms
As Regional Representative for Africa, I represented Child Helpline International and addressed the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) during its 44th Ordinary Session in Maseru, Lesotho. We presented findings from a comprehensive data analysis of child helplines in 12 countries across East and Southern Africa, revealing alarming […]
The Gaborone Declaration
on the Role of Child Helplines in the Protection of Children in Africa
The Gaborone Declaration was announced at the close of the Regional Consultation of Child Helplines in Africa, held in Gaborone, Botswana, on 28-30 November 2023. The Gaborone Declaration is the statement made on behalf of all members of Child Helpline International in the Africa Region, and is signed by Patrick Krens, our Executive Director; Florence […]
Tackling Online Sexual Exploitation, Child Marriage & FGM in Africa: The 2023 Africa Regional Consultation
Learning Coordinator Laura Holliday reports back on the recent Africa Regional Consultation of Child Helplines
20 years, 20 voices: Childline Kenya
2023 marks the 20th Anniversary of Child Helpline International. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we have invited 20 of our members – from all around the world, founding members and members who have recently joined us – to share their stories in a special series that will run between now and World Children’s Day on […]
20 years, 20 voices: LifeLine/ChildLine Zambia
2023 marks the 20th Anniversary of Child Helpline International. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we have invited 20 of our members – from all around the world, founding members and members who have recently joined us – to share their stories in a special series that will run between now and World Children’s Day on […]
An Africa Fit for Children begins with Child Helplines
In 2020, Lifeline Childline Zambia recorded a case of a 14-year-old girl who had lost her mother about two months earlier. For the purposes of this blog, I won’t call this girl by her real name, of course – so, let’s just call her “Hope”… Hope was struggling to accept that her mother was gone, […]
Harmful Practices in the Eastern & Southern Africa Region
Data on contacts concerning “Harmful Practices”: child marriage and FGM
Mental health: helping the child helpline counsellors to help children and young people
Child Helpline International launches eLearning on Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support A teenage girl called the child helpline, seeking help on behalf of a friend who is 16 years old: “My friend says she just wants to die … please, can you help her?” The girl reveals that her friend has behavioral problems. She has […]