Child Safeguarding: A Responsibility Every Organization Must Embrace

Keeping children safe during the planning and implementation of projects is an aspect many organizations often overlook. Yet the truth remains: every organization, whether child-focused or not has a duty to ensure that no child is harmed as a result of its work. This is the core of child safeguarding, and it is essential for building child-safe organizations across Nigeria and beyond.

At Love Chariz Foundation, promoting child protection and child welfare in Africa is central to our advocacy.
We extend our appreciation to GlobalGiving for deepening our understanding of safeguarding standards and best practices.

Understanding Child Safeguarding

Over 12 years ago, the first Safeguarding Standards were launched by a coalition of development organizations that later became known as Keeping Children Safe. These global standards have shaped how NGOs and community-based organizations approach child safety policies and organizational accountability.

One key insight from these standards is that poorly designed programmes and weak operational management can unintentionally expose children to harm. This risk exists even when an organization is not directly working with children, because community programmes, staff actions, and volunteer behavior can still affect vulnerable children.

Real-Life Examples of Child Safeguarding Risks

Safeguarding risks often arise in subtle or unexpected ways. Here are a few examples of how organizational activities can unintentionally cause harm:

• Underaged volunteers at a community programme.
  An NGO requests volunteers for an event, only to discover on the programme day that the volunteers provided by community leaders are children who should be in school.

• Child marriage involving a staff member.
  A male staff member gets time off for a wedding, and it is later revealed that the bride is 14 years old—a clear violation of child protection principles.

• Emotional maltreatment during a food distribution project.
  Following a food bank outreach for vulnerable women and children, an anonymous report emerges stating that some volunteers emotionally maltreated a few of the children.

These scenarios demonstrate how safeguarding risks can arise from staff behavior, community involvement, or poorly monitored programmes, highlighting the need for strong organizational child protection systems.

Why Child Safeguarding Matters

Child safeguarding is not simply a compliance requirement, it is a commitment to ensuring that all organizational operations, staff, volunteers, and community programmes do no harm to children. As safeguarding awareness grows in Nigeria, more NGOs will adopt child protection policies, and Love Chariz Foundation is committed to helping spread this important message.

Our Documentary: Realities of out-of-school-Children in Nigeria

Key Safeguarding Responsibilities for Organizations

To become truly child-safe organizations, NGOs and community groups must take deliberate steps to prevent harm:

1. Identify Risks

Organizations must assess the risks their operations pose to children, directly or indirectly. This includes understanding programme risk assessment, staff behavior, and community dynamics.

2. Establish Strong Safeguarding Policies

A safeguarding policy should clearly outline where, when, and how child protection risks may occur, along with steps for preventing and responding to concerns. This is essential for organizational child protection.

3. Designate Safeguarding Focal Persons

Every organization should appoint trained focal persons who will receive, manage, and investigate safeguarding concerns. This ensures accountability and a structured response to reports.

4. Train Staff and Volunteers

Effective safeguarding training ensures staff and volunteers understand their roles, boundaries, and reporting responsibilities. Continuous training is essential for maintaining a child-safe work environment.

5. Define a Clear Code of Conduct

A strong code of conduct establishes professional boundaries for staff and volunteers when interacting with children. It reinforces expectations and minimizes the risk of inappropriate behavior.

Our Commitment at Love Chariz Foundation

As advocates for child welfare in Africa, we believe every child deserves a safe environment; at home, in school, and within all community-based programmes. We will continue to raise awareness, promote safeguarding training, and support organizations in Nigeria to adopt child protection policies that ensure no child is left vulnerable.

Child safeguarding is not optional.
It is a responsibility, one that every organization must embrace to build safer communities for children.