Sierra Leone launches safeguarding community to prevent exploitation of people with disabilities

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 01 December 2024:

The National Safeguarding Community of Practice is pleased to announce its official launch last Thursday November 28^th, 2024. This groundbreaking initiative aims to create a robust network of professionals dedicated to the safety and well-being of children and vulnerable adults across Sierra Leone.

The Safeguarding Community of Practice (CoP) in Sierra Leone has been established to bring together safeguarding practitioners from various sectors to share best practices, ensuring that programme implementation is safe for children, young people, and vulnerable adults across Sierra Leone. It hopes to also influence national frameworks and policies.

The aim is to create a space to facilitate knowledge sharing, collaboration, and the exchange of best practices to strengthen efforts in preventing and responding to harm, exploitation, and abuse.

The CoP membership includes; International/Non-Governmental Organizations (I/NGOs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Organizations of Persons with Disability (OPDs), Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) including Governmental parastatals. It is anticipated that membership will expand following the launch.

Tamba Aliyu, Sightsavers’ safeguarding advisor and chair of the CoP says: “Sightsavers and the Safeguarding CoP recognize the personal dignity and rights of everyone. The Safe CoP and its members should undertake to do all in their power to create a safe environment for everyone, particularly women and girls, and to prevent their physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. The Safe CoP is committed to acting at all times in the best interest of everyone.”

The launch event  featured keynote speakers from Sightsavers, Ministries, Donors, and government parastatals.

About Sightsavers:

• Sightsavers is an international organisation working with governments and partners in more than 30 low and middle income countries across Africa and Asia to:
  • tackle avoidable blindness and vision impairment, including cataract and refractive errors such as short-sightedness
  • treat and eliminate neglected tropical diseases, and
  • create a more equal world where people with disabilities can access health care, education and employment without discrimination.
• Sightsavers is a registered UK charity (Registered charity numbers 207544 and SC038110).