¨I want to educate more and more children about OCSE and how to be safe online.” – Bianca

Bianca*, 13 years old, lives with her parents in Kibera, Kenya. She had four siblings. Her mother sells fish, earning approximately 4.96 euros per week, while her father, who suffered a severe stroke in 2020, is unable to work. Her mother now bears the burden of providing for the family as the breadwinner. The little money she earns is spent on school fees and food. Often, they barely have enough to get by. Life is tough for them.

Life at Home

Bianca and her family live in a small, mud-walled house with an iron sheet roof. The one-room home serves as both a sitting room and bedroom. Bianca sleeps in the sitting area while her siblings share the bedroom. Since they have no kitchen, they cook outside. Their latrine and bathroom are also outside. They must pay for water but do not pay for electricity. Bianca enjoys playing in the small playground outside her home. When it comes to nutrition, Bianca eats lunch in school and supper at home.

Life as a Grade 8 Student

Bianca relies on bursary funds from the government to pay school fees. However, she is often sent home when her fees are not paid. Her mother pleads with teachers, asking them to allow Bianca to continue learning as she searches for the money.

Despite these challenges, Bianca excels in school. She is currently in Grade 8, and her favourite subject is Mathematics.

I love reading stories, watching TV, and playing handball

— Speaking about her hobbies, Bianca said

A Day in the Life

Bianca wakes up at 5:30 am, prepares herself, and leaves for school by 6:50 am. She spends her day studying and playing her favourite sport, handball. After school, she returns home at 5:30 pm, fetches water, and helps wash utensils. Sometimes, she also cooks.

After bathing and doing her homework, she sleeps at 10:00 pm. Saturdays are for tuition until 4:00 pm, while Sundays are spent in church, helping with house chores, and completing homework.

Awareness of Online Dangers

Bianca does not own a phone, and some of her friends do not either. However, many children in her community have access to phones or visit cybercafés to access online platforms.

She is aware of the dangers of the online world, including cyberbullying and Online Child Sexual Exploitation (OCSE). She recalled that one of her friends was cyberbullied, while another received inappropriate materials from a stranger. Bianca educated them about online risks, encouraging them to limit screen time, ignore harmful content, and report issues to their parents.

I feel good that my friends trust me. I also feel bad when they share their stories about the issues they face online. I always want to help.

— Bianca shared.

Becoming a Peer Educator

Bianca first learned about the Safety for Children and their Rights Online (SCROL) programme in March 2024 when she met a Childline Kenya counsellor. The SCROL programme, implemented by Terre des Hommes in partnership with Childline Kenya, aims to ensure that children are free and safe from Online Sexual Exploitation (OCSE). 

Bianca joined the child rights club in April 2024, eager to learn about online safety. The community sessions take place during school breaks, with morning and afternoon sessions of 50 children each. She quickly became a dedicated participant.

Through SCROL, Bianca learned about online platforms and their risks, how to stay safe online -SMART (Safe, Meet, accept, Rely, Tell) concept, and OCSE reporting mechanisms, including contacting the 116 helpline. 

Educating others on staying safe online

Driven to spread awareness, Bianca has taken it upon herself to educate others about how to be safe online. Using the SCROL manual, she organises hour-long sessions mainly on Sundays to teach her peers who are unable to attend school-based sessions due to child labour at home. 

Now a peer educator on online safety, Bianca is empowered, motivated, and passionate about helping others understand the different forms of OCSE and how to report OCSE cases.

Positive Impact

According to Bianca, child labour cases have decreased in her community. More children are attending school and doing less household work. Her mother is also educating other mothers on OCSE and online safety.

“I feel good because I see my friends learning and taking action. I encourage them to teach their own friends about online safety.” Bianca explained. 

Support children´s rights!

Bianca urges parents to stop engaging children in excessive child labour and support their rights to play and receive an education. She wants more children to become counsellors who guide others on reporting OCSE cases.

I want other children to be counsellors and support and guide many more children on how to report OCSE cases. I want SCROL to continue supporting children who feel hopeless

— Bianca said. 

She also hopes that more mentors and counsellors will engage with parents, helping them understand the importance of online safety and the value of the SCROL programme.

Speaking about her bright future, Bianca said, ¨I would like to be a doctor to help sick people easily.¨

*Name changed to protect the identity of the project participant. All people involved in this story gave informed consent to participate.