Sheikha Jawaher launches projects to protect 30,000 children in Zanzibar, Mexico

Sharjah: Under the guidance of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Khalid Bin Sultan Al Qasimi Humanitarian Foundation (KSQF), the foundation has launched its first international projects to protect more than 30,000 children at risk of violence, exploitation, and displacement in Zanzibar and Mexico.

These initiatives, carried out in partnership with global child protection organisations — Save the Children International in Tanzania and Plan International in Mexico — aim to create safer communities for children and strengthen local support systems to protect them in the long term.

This step is part of KSQF’s bigger mission to build strong, lasting child protection networks in places where children are most vulnerable. The foundation is responding to serious threats that many children face around the world, including abuse, neglect, trafficking, and child labour.

Recent reports from UNICEF and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) show that one in five children in low-income countries are involved in dangerous or forced work. The number of children identified as victims of trafficking has also increased by 31 percent in recent years, making urgent action essential.

Speaking about these projects, Sheikha Jawaher said that the foundation is built on the belief that protecting and caring for children is not just a responsibility — it is their natural right. She stressed that every child deserves to grow up in a safe, loving, and supportive environment.

"Saving one child means saving the future of a whole community," she said. "When we started the Khalid Bin Sultan Al Qasimi Humanitarian Foundation in 2024, our goal was to create a global movement to protect children wherever they are in danger. Our work focuses on prevention, support for victims, building partnerships, and helping develop laws that protect children’s rights."

She added: "Children are what bring humanity together. No matter our differences, we all agree that every child deserves to live without fear, harm, or anxiety. Through these projects, we aim to make real, lasting changes — not just quick fixes — so that children everywhere can live safer, happier lives."

In Zanzibar, rising cases of gender-based violence (GBV), especially against girls, have made child protection a top priority. KSQF, working with Save the Children, is strengthening two One Stop Centres that already exist at Jitimai Hospital in Unguja and Abdalla Mzee Hospital in Pemba.

The foundation will offer medical care, psychological support, and legal help to at least 1,000 survivors of violence. The project will also spread awareness and provide community services to more than 10,000 people.

Sheikha Jawaher recently visited the centres and saw first-hand the urgent need to improve services. Local statistics show that one in 10 boys and one in 20 girls in Zanzibar suffer sexual violence before they become adults. Nearly 30 percent of girls face abuse before turning 18. In 2023 alone, there were 162 reported GBV cases, with children making up over 80 percent of the victims.

This year-long project will help strengthen local child protection systems, break cycles of abuse, and support survivors in rebuilding their lives.

In Mexico, where human trafficking rates are among the highest in the world, KSQF and Plan International have launched the "Guardians of Children" project to protect migrant children and teenagers in Tapachula, Mexico City, and Ciudad Juárez.

The project comes in response to a sharp rise in the number of unaccompanied migrant children, which jumped from 69,500 in 2019 to more than 137,000 in 2023. Many of these children are fleeing violence, poverty, and the effects of climate change.

The project will directly help 7,000 migrant children and adolescents and reach over 15,000 others through community programmes. It will provide safe spaces, mobile health services, psychological support, and emergency assistance for families. Local community members will also be trained to raise awareness about child trafficking and to become active protectors of children’s rights.