AFRUCA SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN
Help us to protect more children in our community
With offices in London and Manchester, we work in UK Black and Ethnic communities to protect and safeguard children from abuse, modern slavery and exploitation. We tackle cultural and religious practices that harm children.
Our
Services
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Child Protection and Family Support Service
Our multi - disciplinary team of experienced and qualified social workers provide a culturally tailored consultation service for child protection professionals and, Child Protection assessment, positive parenting training and support services for parents in the UK Child Protection system. We take referrals from local authorities and other agencies across the UK.
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Child Exploitation and Serious Violence Programme
AFRUCA delivers a holistic menu of services to support children, young people and families in Black and ethnic communities at risk of or affected by child exploitation and serious violence. Our prevention and early intervention work includes provision of 1-2-1 support for parents of children at risk and providing mentoring, practical support and learning activities for young people.
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AFRUCA Specialist Training Programme For Professionals
We deliver a range of specialist training programmes for agencies and their staff working with Black and Ethnic children and families and those who provide services to meet their needs. We tailor make bespoke courses to meet organisational needs and priorities. Our training sessions are deiivered face-to-face or virtually
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AFRUCA's Networks of Influence
Our “Networks of Influence” aim to strengthen the voices of marginalised communities across the country affected by modern slavery, child protection and child exploitation. We want to create opportunities for grass-root collaborative and partnership approaches to tackle issues affecting our communities.
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Modern Slavery Programme
AFRUCA works to address modern slavery and exploitation experienced by children and young people trafficked into the UK. We partner with other agencies to provide culturally appropriate support and care to meet their needs.
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Community Volunteering Programme
AFRUCA employs a volunteer-led approach to address many of the issues that affect children in Black and ethnic community across England. The idea is to create a ripple effect of change through peer-to-peer learning and active citizenship. We have devised a range of Community Champions initiatives focusing on a range of issues, including Modern Slavery, Child Protection and Female Genital Mutilation
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Community Education Programme
AFRUCA works in partnership with a range of community and faith based organisations to improve knowledge of child safeguarding and how to keep children safe from abuse and harm.
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Schools Education Programme
AFRUCA works with schools, colleges and alternative education provisions across the country to deliver training courses to meet the needs of pupils, staff and parents. We work with schools to raise awareness about different forms of intra and extra-familial harm towards children
We have been safeguarding children since 2001
Prompted by the deaths of a number of newly arrived children in the UK, Debbie Ariyo, a former Civil Servant, founded AFRUCA in 2001 to address child safeguarding and child trafficking issues in African diaspora communities and provide services to help support children and families and rehabilitate victims.
Debbie Ariyo OBE - Founder and CEO
What People Say About AFRUCA
New AFRUCA Film “The Gap” Celebrates 25 years of Saving Lives
On 27 January 2026, AFRUCA joined other charities at the British Film Institute for the screening of a series of short films focusing on our various work. Our film “the Gap” explores our work on the protection of Black children in the UK. Produced by Media Trust with funding from our funder the City Bridge Foundation, we are one of nine charities whose work was showcased on the night.
Our film will be out on release soon.
AFRUCA Awarded New Grant To Tackle Exploitation of Care Workers Across Greater Manchester
We are delighted to have been awarded a major grant by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to work across Greater Manchester and conduct community engagement and awareness raising on social care work visas and the risks of exploitation.
The new project will be delivered by a consortium of nine local partners through our Network - The UK BME Anti-Slavery Network and includes: Wonderfully Made Woman, Support and Action for Women’s Network, Caring and Sharing CIC, House of Rainbow CIC, Manchester Gambian Network, Across Ummah, Ibo Ladies in the Diaspora and Noble Arise.
Our six month project will work across all 10 boroughs working deeply and broadly in different affected communities to raise awareness, offer practical support, and increase referrals to infrastructure agencies. We hope to directly support over 400 individual, helping to safeguard those affected from exploitation and human trafficking linked to social care work visas.
Debbie Ariyo, CEO of AFRUCA and Chair of BASNET said: “This is a much needed community led action to help tackle the intractable problem of the exploitation and abuse of international care workers. We will bring our community knowledge and cultural competence to bear in delivering this project, helping to safeguard and protect many victims and others affected across Greater Manchester”.
The project will start in December 2025.
Book Launch: Scars of Silence - A Journey Through Trafficking and Survival
We were delighted to attend the launch of Roseline Oiwoh’s new book: “Scars of Silence” which documents her lived experience of abuse, exploitation and child trafficking and her journey towards healing and recovery.
Roseline wrote to us at AFRUCA: “ I wish to express my sincere gratitude for the role your organisation played in my development and recovery”.
We are grateful for this positive acknowledgement of our work
You can get a copy of Roseline’s book on Amazon here
Meet our Network - BASNET The UK BME Anti-Slavery Network
BASNET - The UK BME Anti-Slavery Network is a project of AFRUCA Safeguarding Children. BASNET is very active in the UK Modern Slavery space as a platofrm to bridge the gap in race equality diversity and inclusion in modern slavery policy and practice. BASNET is engaged in various activities and programmes to help support its members, policy-makers, service providers and survivors of modern slavery.
BASNET is one of our “Networks of Influence” - our strategic alliances at AFRUCA to help strengthen our work in the community.
Read more about BASNET on the project website here
AFRUCA Training Brochure for Agencies Working With Black and Ethnic Children and Families 2025-2026
Over the past twenty four years, AFRUCA Safeguarding Children has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience delivering specialist training courses aimed at enhancing the knowledge, skills and confidence of practitioners working with children and their families from diverse backgrounds. We work with agencies nation-wide and across Europe to design relevant training courses which are delivered inhouse - face to face or remotely. Over 15,000 professionals have participated in our range of training courses since our inception in 2001.
AFRUCA Collaborates with CEE-HOPE Nigeria to Raise Awareness of Child Protection
Debbie Ariyo OBE, Founder and CEO of AFRUCA was guest of honour at a major interactive and engaging event in October 2025 exploring the different nuances of child abuse and how to increase the safety and protection of children in Nigeria. At the event, Debbie called for stronger efforts to tackle child abuse in Nigeria through better prevention and early intervention approaches.
AFRUCA CEO Wins Anti-Trafficking Award
Debbie Ariyo OBE, Founder and CEO of AFRUCA has been awarded the 2025 Outstanding Contribution to Reducing Vulnerabilities to Human Trafficking Award at a major event in the House of Parliament.
Debbie’s award is a long overdue recognition of her major contribution to addressing human trafficking and modern slavery since she founded AFRUCA in 2001. Since then, AFRUCA has played a leading role in providing culturally sensitive and appropriate support services for over 500 survivors of modern slavery from different African countries; contributed to improvements in government policies, galvanised community action and advocated for changes to improve race equality, diversity and inclusion through its networks - The UK BME Anti-Slavery Network and the Manchester Network on Child Exploitation and Serious Violence, supported children and their families across Manchester experiencing or at risk of exploitation, contributed to research to improve sectoral knowledge base and provided training and skills building to a range of professionals, helping to improve their intervention in trafficking cases.
We are very proud of Debbie’s work at AFRUCA over the past 24 years and wish her many congratulations on her award. Many thanks to the Marsh Charitable Trust and the Human Trafficking Foundation for this laudable recognition.
AFRUCA Team Retreat
8-10 July 2025
The AFRUCA 2025 Team Retreat in Liverpool was really impactful. Our staff in both London and Manchester offices converged on Liverpool to explore our different work areas, strategise and discussed plans for celebrating our 25th anniversary in 2026. We were delighted to have our Chair Dr Sudhir Sethi discuss our growth and express his appreciation to all staff for their hard work. The highlight of our retreat was the presentation by Professor Alex Balch who spoke about strengthening collaboration between academia and small charities like AFRUCA. We are grateful to Dr Balch and the University of Liverpool for hosting us.
BASNET BME Modern Slavery Knowledge Mobilisation Conference
Date: Wednesday, 24th June 2025
Time: 9am - 4:300pm
Venue: The British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace London SW1Y 5AH
Our Network BASNET - The UK BME Antislavery Network held its first Modern Slavery Knowledge Mobilisation Conference on Tuesday 24 June 2025 in Central London.
This special event showcased the outcomes of our latest research partnerships with BASNET members who are Black and Ethnic Minority-led organisations and Lived Experience Experts. We are grateful to the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network for hosting the conference at their prestigious premises in Central London.
Read more about the BASNET Knowledge Mobilisation programme and the research reports by BASNET members here
AFRUCA Child Protection Service: Positive Parenting Programme
The AFRUCA Child Protection and Family Support Service is a paid service working nationally with Black, Asian and ethnic families open to local authority children’s social service. Our team of qualified social workers offer early intervention support, provide culturally focused specialist assessments and positive parenting training. We engage in direct work on child protection and care proceedings. We also support family re-integration processes and provide advice to social workers who might need help to address on-going cases. Each year, our service supports approximately 100 families referred to us by various local authorities nation-wide. Our aim is always to help achieve a positive outcome for the birth family and a happier and safer home environment for children.
We take referrals from England, Wales and Scotland.
Please read more about our service and download our referral form
Safeguarding and Child Protection Training for Faith Leaders and Workers in Hackney
There is no hard to reach community. Rather, agencies seeking to engage with faith and community groups should put in the efforts to build trust and engagement with them. We at AFRUCA are very proud to have delivered three successful sessions on “Safeguarding and Child Protection Training for Faith Leaders and Workers in Hackney” in November 2024, January and February 2025. We worked hard to engage over 80 delegates from over 20 Faith groups, ensuring very good participation and attendance at the sessions. Great opportunity to share learning on keeping children safe and enhancing protection in faith groups. Many thanks to City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership for funding this programme. We look forward to phase two - continuing our engagement with the faith groups in various ways.
AFRUCA News: June to December 2025
AFRUCA engaged in various activities, bringing together safeguarding professionals, young people, families, community members and our staff as part of our ongoing work with children and families
The Guide: Understanding Child Protection In The UK
The "Guide" covers a range of subjects to support parents to strengthen their parenting knowledge and skills, identify risks of harm inside and outside the home and ultimately improve protection and safety for their children.
Community Engagement and Education are at the heart of our work at AFRUCA to prevent child abuse, trafficking, exploitation and modern slavery.
Contact us to arrange a session delivered by our staff and volunteer Children’s Champions for your agency, church, mosque, school or community group.
Child Protection Community Engagement and Education
Ongoing
Activities
AFRUCA Public Facing Events Calendar
AFRUCA’s 20th Anniversary Documentary Video
Our
People
Our Current and Recent Funders
