Getting Ahead of the Risk: ChildFund Convenes High-Level Roundtable on Online Safety in Africa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Information:
Cheri Dahl
CDahl@ChildFund.org

Getting Ahead of the Risk:
ChildFund Convenes High-Level Roundtable on Online Safety in Africa

Nairobi, Kenya, March 31, 2026 – Last week ChildFund International and ChildFund Kenya brought together civil society, government leaders and academia in Nairobi for a roundtable discussion on the future of digital access and safety in Africa.

According to the African Union Child Online Safety and Empowerment Policy, 40% of young people aged 15-24 now have access to the internet. While access in Africa continues its rapid acceleration, safety is not being prioritized.

The meeting featured experts, policy advocates, telecom providers, law enforcement, and young people themselves, who shared their experiences and offered solutions. The discussion centered on the need for co-creation, co-investment and a shared understanding that the implications of online harm go beyond child protection. Safe internet access benefits young people’s ability to learn, to build skills, and to contribute to the economy.

“Embedding safety into access — through regulation, education and partnership — is our collective duty,” said Isam Ghanim, ChildFund’s President and CEO. “Digital access creates opportunity, but the risks evolve as fast as technology does. We know the risks. It is up to us to make sure we are ahead of them.”

ChildFund’s roundtable ended with a commitment around coordinated action to close the gap and make digital access safe for every child throughout Africa — and ultimately everywhere.

ChildFund has been a leader in the global fight against online exploitation and abuse of children since 2019, when they identified online sexual exploitation and abuse as a critical issue facing young people around the world. The organization has been instrumental in advancing a nationwide grassroots movement within the U.S. to promote online safety for children and urge Congress to move online safety legislation forward.

ChildFund also convened and leads the End Online Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children (End OSEAC) Coalition, a group of like-minded organizations advancing online safety legislation and giving a platform to survivors and parents of children who have lost their lives to online exploitation and abuse. ChildFund, the Coalition and the Coalition’s Survivor’s Council are leaders in the online safety advocacy space and will continue advocating for legislation to protect children and young people from online sexual exploitation and abuse.

About ChildFund
ChildFund works throughout Asia, Africa and the Americas, including the United States, to connect children with what they need to grow up healthy, educated, skilled and safe — at home, in school, in community, online. ChildFund leads the End OSEAC Coalition, a group of 30 civil society organizations advocating for policies to protect children online. Find out more at www.ChildFund.org