Summary

1 in 4 girls and 1 in 10 boys are sexually abused before their 18th birthday in Nigeria, and only 2% of girls and 4% of boys receive any help. Our Child Advocacy Centre and free Child Helpline provide a one-stop multi-disciplinary response by providing counselling, medical evaluations, forensic interviews, advocacy and support, court preparation and community education services for free - leading to a safe space for children to disclose abuse, less trauma and more successful prosecutions.

Challenge

Child sexual abuse is a critical public health issue in Nigeria which robs children of their childhood with 70% of sexually abused children experiencing multiple incidents of abuse. 90% of abusers are known to the child and family and 84% of girls and 61% of boys don't know where to seek help. The incidence means that 15.8 million Nigerian children will be sexually abused before adulthood and 11 million of them will deal with the secrecy, trauma and long-term effects alone, without intervention.

Solution

Our Child Advocacy Centre and Child Helpline provide a safe space for children to disclose abuse, and our one-stop multi-disciplinary response team comprising Counsellors, Lawyers, Medics, Advocates, Forensic Investigators and Advocates provide counselling, medical evaluations, forensic interviews, family support, court preparation, emergency shelter, and community education services for free - leading to more disclosures of abuse, less trauma, changed attitudes and more successful prosecutions

Long-Term Impact

Annually, Over 10,000 children will have direct access to help and justice through the Child Helpline and Child Advocacy Centre to professionals who can help them. 10,000 children will be equipped with skills to identify and report abuse. 2000 Adult Change-Makers will be equipped with improved knowledge on child protection skills with the effect of changing current community attitudes from a tacit acceptance of abuse to active protection of children, leading to a safer society for children.