SAFEGUARDING POLICY

The FSD Africa Safeguarding Policy (Version 2.0), effective May 24, 2022, establishes a zero-tolerance framework to prevent and respond to the abuse, harassment, and exploitation of children, vulnerable adults, and employees. The policy defines safeguarding as the responsibility to ensure that personnel, partners, and programmes 'do no harm' and outlines rigorous reporting, investigation, and recruitment protocols to protect individuals within the communities where FSD Africa operates.

• FSD Africa maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding the abuse, harassment, and exploitation of children, vulnerable adults, and employees, stating it will not tolerate practices that compromise the safety of staff, volunteers, partners, grantees, or end-user beneficiaries.
• The organisation defines a 'child' as any person under the age of 18 years, regardless of the local age of maturity or consent, and endorses the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
• Safeguarding concerns can be reported via a dedicated email (safeguarding@fsdafrica.org) or an anonymous 24/7 whistleblowing hotline available via a toll-free Safaricom line (0800 722 626), an international line (+273 157 152 60), or email (FSDAfrica@tip-offs.com).
• The policy mandates strict timelines for handling concerns: staff must report issues to the Safeguarding Officer 'immediately' (by close of business the same day), and leadership must escalate the matter to the Board Chairman and FCDO 'promptly' (within a maximum of 48 hours).
• FSD Africa implements 'safer recruitment' processes, including background and reference checks for all personnel. Criminal background checks are mandatory for those working directly with vulnerable individuals.
• The policy extends its requirements to associated persons, including partners, consultants, and contractors. Breach of the policy or deliberate non-disclosure of safeguarding concerns may lead to the immediate suspension or termination of the contract.
• Specific governance roles are assigned for safeguarding: Tokunboh Ishmael serves as the Safeguarding Director, Mary Njuguna as the Safeguarding Officer, and Beatrice Mubia as the Safeguarding Officer Alternate.

APA

FSD Africa (2022). SAFEGUARDING POLICY. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Safeguarding-Policy.pdf

Chicago

FSD Africa. SAFEGUARDING POLICY. 2022. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Safeguarding-Policy.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=FSD Africa |title=SAFEGUARDING POLICY |date=24 May 2022 |url=https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Safeguarding-Policy.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/2024/03/Safeguarding-Policy.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }