Africans Unite Against Child Abuse

Welcome to AFRUCA

AFRUCA - Africans Unite Against Child Abuse (UK) is an organisation concerned about cruelty against the African child. With offices in London and Manchester, we are the premier charity promoting the welfare of African children in the UK. We also work in partnership with other organisations in Africa and across Europe.

AFRUCA UK is closely affiliated with AFRUCA Foundation for the Protection of the Rights of Vulnerable Children, a newly established NGO in Nigeria
Click here to visit AFRUCA Foundation (Nigeria)

Click here to read more about our activities
Click here to see how you can support Afruca

Urgent Message

We are experiencing a problem with our server and might not be receiving email messages being sent to us. If you have sent an email to afruca in the last few days and have received no response, it is likely that we haven't received it. We are working hard to fix this problem. In the meantime, all email messages for AFRUCA staff should be sent to AFRUCA@gmail.com. Thank you.

Forthcoming TV Programme

DISPATCHES: BRITAIN'S WITCH CHILDREN
Monday 26 July, Channel 4, 8:00PM

Follow up to Africa's Witch Children shown in November 2008. Dispatches goes behind the closed doors of some African churches in the UK, where evangelical pastors perpetuate a strong belief in witchcraft and denounce children as witches.

AFRUCA's Press Release on "Britain's Witch Children"

Click for:

More information on Britain’s Witch Children

Details of AFRUCA’s Follow up Community Meeting on Thursday 29 July 2010

AFRUCA’s Proposal for a New Law Against Branding Children as Witches

Big Lottery Fund Press Release on AFRUCA’s work with Faith Groups in Yorkshire and Humberside

New Publications

In order to reach wider into the African community, AFRUCA is producing some of its safeguarding African children in the UK publications in French. Click on image below to read our new publications

What is witchcraft abuse? (french)

What is child abuse? (french)

AFRUCA 9th Anniversary Celebrations: Programme of Events

21 – 26 JUNE 2010

Date: Monday 21st June 2010
Title: Breaking the Silence: Addressing Child Sexual Abuse in the Black Community in Manchester (Seminar)
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm
Venue: Phoenix Mill
23 Piercy Street
Ancoats
Manchester
Click here for more info

Date: Wednesday 23rd June
Title: Breaking the Cycle of Fear: Witchcraft, Juju and Safeguarding Victims of Human Trafficking (International Conference)
Time: 9.30am – 4pm
Venue: Central London
Click here for more info

Date: 24th June 2010
Title: Reception to Mark the 9th Anniversary of AFRUCA
Time: 6pm – 9pm
Venue: House of Commons, Attlee Suite, Portcullis House, London SW1

Date: Friday 25th June 2010
Title: Child Protection Training for African Parents
Time: 11am – 3pm
Venue: ACANE Newcastle

Recent News

Facebook Interview with Debbie Ariyo, Founder of AFRUCA

Click to read

Sir Roger Singleton, the Government's Adviser on Child Safety has released a report on his review of Physical Punishment in Part time Education Settings.

Click to read

AFRUCA Launches "1 Million Africans Against Human Trafficking" Facebook Campaign
AFRUCA has launched a campaign on facebook to raise awareness about the scourge of human trafficking and to encourage African people take a stand so that there will be no place for traffickers to operate and hide.

Click to sign up

Press Release

AFRUCA Concern At Growth in Trafficking in Persons from Africa to the UK

Click here to read

AFRUCA - January - March 2010 In Pictures

The Year 2010 from January to March at AFRUCA has been eventful.
Click here to see a pictorial synopsis of our work in the course of the year

Safeguarding African Children in the UK Publications

AFRUCA has produced a series of easy-to-read booklets looking at different child protection issues and the effects on African children in the UK. These publications - the “What is?” series of publications are meant to assist African parents and others improve their knowledge and understanding of child protection issues, how these impact on children and what they can do to address it. These booklets are being widely circulated across the UK and are becoming very popular among schools, social services and other agencies working with children.

Click on photos to download

The "What is Child Abuse?" booklet addresses the issue of child abuse and African children. It covers issues like the definition of child abuse, the different forms of child abuse as they affect African children, the signs of child abuse and how you can identify a child who is suffering abuse, the effects of child abuse on children, why children don’t tell people they have been abuse, what you can do to help children you see or know is being abused. It gives a step-by-step guide on how to report cases of children you see being harmed or abused to the authorities or to AFRUCA to take forward. This is our most popular booklet.

The "What is Witchcraft Abuse?" publication is our newest and most recent publication. It addresses the terrible phenomenon of child branding as witches or as evil spirits among some African communities in the UK. It looks at why children are branded as witches, what kind of children are vulnerable and how they are abused and harmed as a consequence. It also addresses the issue of religion and how some fake pastors are helping to fuel this form of child abuse through wrongful branding as witches. It identifies how children who are branded as witches can be safeguarded and supported and what role AFRUCA is playing to help victims.

The "What is Child Trafficking?" booklet looks at the phenomenon of trafficking of African children to the UK for different forms of exploitation. It describes how children become vulnerable to being trafficked and how they are exploited in the UK. In particular, it looks at the issue of trafficking for domestic servitude, a silent form of child abuse in the African community in the UK. It covers how people can identify victims of child trafficking, the indicators to be aware of, how you can support victims by referring them to the authorities for support, or to AFRUCA to take up their case and provide them with practical assistance including referring to housing and financial support.

The "What is Female Genital Mutilation?" booklet addresses the issue of FGM or female circumcision in the African community. Many children are victims of this terrible practice which mutilates their genitalia leaving them with accompanying long term physical and mental health problems. The publication describes the different forms of FGM, how they impact on young girls who are made to undergo the practice. It also looks at the religious and cultural beliefs which help to promote the practice. The publication highlights what can be done to protect children who are potential victims. It highlights UK law which prohibits FGM.

AFRUCA Celebrates 8 Years of Promoting the Welfare of African Children

On the 8th anniversary of its inception, AFRUCA outlines its achievements promoting the rights and welfare of African Children.

Click here to read the press release