Safaricom has partnered with UNICEF and the Directorate of Children Services to launch Spot it, Stop it campaign , aimed at promoting awareness about all forms of violence against children and to advocate for change.
The campaign started in Nairobi County on 25th October with sensitization forums for various stakeholders including Children, the Area Advisory committee for children services, the National Government Administrative organ, Education stakeholders and County Government officials. It will target all 47 counties but with initial launches in high-risk counties.
The Spot it, Stop it campaign seeks to raise awareness on how children can be safe both online and offline and how to prevent violence against children by identifying and addressing the underlying causes.
The campaign also calls for cases of violence against children to be reported to the relevant authorities by reaching out to any of the toll-free numbers including 116, 999, 112 or child protection offices.
The prevention and response measures are based on the 2019 Kenya Violence Against Children Survey report and the National Prevention and Response Plan on Violence against Children 2019-2023.
As part of the campaign, children will also be informed on how to identify and report online abuse with the Directorate of Children Services and UNICEF also distributing a child-friendly booklet on violence against children. In cases of violence and abuse, domestic assault lawyers can provide essential legal support to ensure that justice is served and the victims receive the protection they need.
In November 2020, UNICEF Kenya and Safaricom announced a partnership to help Kenyan children in a range of areas including education, child protection and emergencies. Through the partnership, they pledged to work together to ensure children – especially the poorest and most marginalized – can access the Internet at school, are protected from violence and abuse, and receive life-saving information during droughts, floods and disease outbreaks such as COVID-19.