KSQF drives systemic reform to safeguard children

Sharjah 24

3 days ago

As governments, NGOs, and advocacy groups spotlight the growing threats of exploitation, one organisation is pushing the conversation beyond awareness and toward urgent, systemic action. The Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi Humanitarian Foundation (KSQF), based in Sharjah, is implementing a proactive strategy to protect children by rewiring the structures that allow abuse, trafficking, and injustice to persist.
Protecting children by tackling root causes
KSQF recognises that today's crises are interconnected; displacement caused by climate disasters leads to school dropouts, heightening children's exposure to trafficking, and conflict and poverty push children into labour and criminal networks. Gender inequality multiplies these risks; especially for girls subjected to sexual exploitation and boys forced into armed groups or illicit work. The Foundation recognises that no single issue can be solved in isolation, and that meaningful protection requires a coordinated, cross-sectoral approach.
Committed to the protection of children as its core mandate and overarching objective, KSQF's efforts also directly align with three key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 16.2, which calls for ending abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children; SDG 5.3, which seeks to eliminate child, early, and forced marriage practices as well as female genital mutilation; and SDG 8.7, dedicated to eradicating forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking, and child labour in all its forms.
'Protection is no longer just about rescue—it's about structural prevention,' says Lujan Mourad, Director of KSQF. 'The Foundation is implementing a comprehensive strategy encompassing three main pillars of advocacy programmes, safeguarding initiatives and capacity building. This involves prevention, specifically community awareness and development programmes; support, focusing on caring for and safeguarding children in need; and partnerships, building a global network of collaborations.'
At the heart of this vision is the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife to Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of the Foundation, and one of the region's foremost advocates for children's rights and global humanitarian development. Her Highness's commitment to the dignity and safety of children transcends borders, backgrounds, and bureaucracies. She has instilled in KSQF a bold humanitarian philosophy: that child protection is not an act of charity, but a duty of justice. Her leadership has steered the Foundation toward long-term, sustainable action that addresses the root causes of vulnerability and amplifies the voices of those too often unheard.
Protecting children in Zanzibar and Mexico
KSQF recently launched its first global initiatives aimed at protecting over 30,000 vulnerable children and their communities in Zanzibar and Mexico. In partnership with Save the Children International and Plan International, these projects tackle urgent issues like gender-based violence, child exploitation, and the hazards faced by migrant children.
In Zanzibar, KSQF is expanding support services for survivors of violence, directly benefiting 1,000 individuals and reaching another 10,000 through community outreach. In Mexico, the 'Guardians of Children' project will provide essential aid and protection to 7,000 migrant children and adolescents, while indirectly supporting more than 15,000 people through awareness campaigns and community capacity building. KSQF's approach emphasises long-term sustainability, local empowerment, and building comprehensive protection systems to secure children's rights and safety now and into the future.
In recognition of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, KSQF's message resonates louder than ever: child protection cannot remain reactive. The systems that exploit children are global, organised, and evolving. The response must be just as urgent, just as coordinated—and just as unrelenting.