Strengthening Online Child Protection Through Participation, Prevention, and Systems Change: Lessons from Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Benin and Togo
Presented By:
Children are coming online earlier than ever, yet many lack the skills, guidance, and support needed to navigate digital risks safely. Drawing on Praesidio Safeguarding’s work in Ghana, Tanzania, and Kenya, this session explores how online harms such as grooming and sexual extortion are evolving and how current responses remain fragmented and largely reactive.
The session introduces Smart Klicks, a practical digital platform designed to equip children, parents, and teachers with accessible, relatable, and actionable online safety guidance. It also highlights complementary approaches, including social and mainstream media campaigns, influencer-led awareness, and a structured education programme for teachers.
Through interactive exercises and real-world case studies, participants will explore how to strengthen prevention, improve responses to disclosures, and build more coordinated systems that reflect children’s lived digital realities.
Speakers
Daniel Mulati – Praesidio Safeguarding
Damon Wamora – Uganda Child Rights NGO Network
Uganda Government Representative (TBC)
Government of Benin Representative (TBC)
A child Representative
Session Aims
1. To share evidence and insights from Praesidio Safeguarding’s work across Ghana, Tanzania, and Kenya on how children experience online risks and the gaps in current protection systems.
2. To demonstrate a prevention-focused approach to online child protection, including the role of Smart Klick, awareness strategies, and education in strengthening children’s safety and support systems.
3. To engage participants in practical reflection and application through interactive exercises, exploring how different actors can respond more effectively to online harm and contribute to a coordinated safeguarding ecosystem
Session Format
To ensure the session is not only informative but genuinely participatory, it will incorporate a series of interactive elements designed to prompt reflection, dialogue, and practical problem-solving. The session will begin with a live Mentimeter exercise inviting participants to reflect on key questions, including: at what age children should access digital devices and the internet, when they should begin receiving education on online harms, and what constitutes an appropriate response when a child reports the sharing of harmful or exploitative content or experiences. This activity will help surface assumptions, challenge perceptions, and ground the discussion in the realities of children’s digital experiences and protection needs.
Participants will then engage in a facilitated discussion based on real-world case examples, including a sexual extortion case from Ghana and a case involving exploitation linked to informal transport networks (boda boda) in Kenya. These cases will provide an opportunity to explore how harm unfolds, identify missed opportunities for intervention, and reflect on how prevention, response, and system coordination can be strengthened in practice.
The session will also include a panel discussion featuring a child representative, regional child rights actors through the Uganda Child Rights NGO Network, and government representatives from Benin and Uganda to explore the issue of child sacrifice, drawing from programming currently being implemented in both countries. The discussion will provide practical insights into emerging child protection risks during political transitions, community-based prevention efforts, and the importance of cross-sector collaboration in addressing harmful practices affecting children.