Safeguarding Policy

The FSD Africa Safeguarding Policy (May 2022) establishes a zero-tolerance framework for abuse, harassment, and exploitation of children, vulnerable adults, and employees. It defines safeguarding responsibilities for all personnel, outlines reporting mechanisms, and sets standards for safer recruitment and survivor support to ensure no harm results from the organization's operations in Africa.

• FSD Africa maintains a zero-tolerance stance toward abuse, harassment, and exploitation of children, vulnerable adults, and employees. The organization commits to ensuring that no actions or practices undermine the safety of staff, volunteers, partners, grantees, or end-user beneficiaries.
• The policy defines safeguarding as the organizational responsibility to ensure that employees, volunteers, partners, vendors, operations, and programmes do not harm or expose children, young people, or vulnerable adults to abuse or exploitation. It also encompasses the protection of employees and volunteers when they are vulnerable, such as during illness or when facing bullying and harassment.
• FSD Africa has established a multi-tiered governance structure for safeguarding. This includes a Board-level Safeguarding Director (Tokunboh Ishmael) accountable for reported issues, a Safeguarding Officer (Mary Njuguna) and an Alternate (Beatrice Mubia) for referrals, and the Director of HR and Talent Management (Hellen M. Kong’ong’o) who is responsible for safeguarding standards and policies.
• Reporting mechanisms for safeguarding concerns include a dedicated email address (safeguarding@fsdafrica.org), a 24/7 anonymous whistleblowing hotline (0800 722 626), and an external reporting option via reportingconcerns@dfid.gov.uk. Staff are required to report suspicions immediately without awaiting confirmation.
• The organization implements 'safer recruitment' and vetting processes for all employees, consultants, and partners, which include background and reference checks. For personnel working directly with vulnerable individuals, criminal background checks and specific safeguarding interview questions are mandatory.
• Compliance with the Safeguarding Policy is a mandatory condition of employment. All staff members must receive an induction into safeguarding within three months of joining and are required to complete mandatory safeguarding training and refresher courses annually. Staff must also acknowledge their compliance with the policy on an annual basis.
• FSD Africa extends its safeguarding expectations to associated persons, including partners, consultants, and contractors. Partners must ensure their own personnel abide by the policy and notify FSD Africa immediately of any actual incidents or allegations of sexual harassment or bullying. Breach of these terms may result in the immediate suspension or termination of the contract.

APA

FSD Africa (2022). Safeguarding Policy. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/FSD-Africa-Safeguarding-Policy-Final-Draft-V2.pdf

Chicago

FSD Africa. Safeguarding Policy. 2022. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/FSD-Africa-Safeguarding-Policy-Final-Draft-V2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=FSD Africa |title=Safeguarding Policy |date=May 2022 |url=https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/FSD-Africa-Safeguarding-Policy-Final-Draft-V2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fsdafrica2022safeguarding, author = {{FSD Africa}}, title = {{Safeguarding Policy}}, institution = {FSD Africa}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/FSD-Africa-Safeguarding-Policy-Final-Draft-V2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }