Uniting for Change: Totya Platform and the Brave Movement’s Fight for Child Safety in a Digital Uganda

On the 16th of November, Totya Platform joined other members of the Brave Movement in Uganda to commemorate the Day of the African Child under the theme: “The Rights of the Child in the Digital Environment.”. The event took place at St Denis Ssebugwawo Senior Secondary School in Ggaba, a suburb of Kampala. Among the guests were Brave Movement’s Africa Campaign Manager, Ms Kanga Rassi, officials from the Ministry of Gender and Social Development as representatives from the Sauti 116 Child Helpline, and representatives from about six other Civil Society Organizations.

During the event, students were provided with information about the Child Helpline (Sauti 116) and were informed about their rights to a safe digital space. They also had the opportunity to share their experiences and discuss the digital spaces they were using. Some boys expressed concern that their needs were being overlooked in favour of the girls. One student said, “Why is it that everyone talks about girls’ rights, but no one is concerned about the boys?” Additionally, a few students mentioned that they had difficulty reaching the helpline when they tried to call.

We assured the students that the organizations involved in the Brave Movement were committed to ensuring their safety from online sexual abuse. We promised to continue informing them about the dangers they might face and how they can protect themselves. Totya Platform also distributed flyers with our contact information, providing a way for them to reach out to a friendly counsellor if they felt unsafe or experienced any form of sexual abuse.

A recent study conducted by ECPAT, INTERPOL, and UNICEF revealed that 40% of Ugandan children aged 12-17 had internet access, and within the year 2021, 21% of them received unwanted requests to discuss sex or engage in sexual acts. Armed with this knowledge, we are committed to taking action in the communities we serve to ensure that all children have the right to a fair and just life, free from the traumas of sexual violence. We will continue raising awareness about the realities of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA) and providing healing and access to justice services for survivors of OCSEA.