AFRUCA Safeguarding Children

07/10/2026

Dear colleagues, we at AFRUCA Safeguarding Children AFRUCA - SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN are delighted to invite you to the launch of our book: “Through The Eyes of Survivors: Exploring 25 Years of AFRUCA’s Anti-Trafficking Work” on Tuesday 20th October at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. Email us to RSVP and reserve your copy.

07/10/2026

Dear colleagues, we at AFRUCA - SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN are delighted to invite you to the launch of our book: "Through The Eyes of Survivors: Exploring 25 Years of AFRUCA's Anti-Trafficking Work" on Tuesday 20th October at St Mary's University, Twickenham. Email us to RSVP and reserve your copy.

30/09/2026

I really still cannot believe the charity i started in 2001 is now 25 years old - one quarter of a century old!

My colleagues and I at AFRUCA Safeguarding Children have a lot to be thankful for. The charity has experienced a lot of ups and downs, like any business organisation. We are grateful to still be around to continue to support children, young people, families and communities for many years to come.

On 20th October, we are holding a day long series of activities to mark our 20th anniversary. Many thanks to Bakhita Centre for Slavery, Safety and Social Justice at St Mary's University in Twickenham for hosting us.

The highlight of our day would be the launch of our new book - "Through the Eyes of Survivors" which is a compedium of stories of survivors of modern slavery we have supported over the past 25 years and their journeys of recovery, rebuilding and independence.

We welcome you to join us at this important event to celebrate with us.

Register to attend here https://www.tickettailor.com/events/afrucasafeguardingchildren/2420976

Debbie Ariyo OBE
Founder of AFRUCA

Through the Eyes of Survivors: AFRUCA’s 25th Anniversary Celebration – The Waldegrave Suite, St Mary’s University, Tue 20 Oct 2026 - Celebrating 25 years of protecting children, supporting survivors and tackling trafficking and exploitation. Join AFRUCA on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, at The Wald...

21/09/2026

Today we were in Merton, South London delivering a very engaging session on Culture and Safeguarding for foster carer. Thanks to the London Borough of Merton for inviting us to deliver this crucial training session.

17/09/2026

AFRUCA 25th Anniversary Celebration
Celebrating 25 years of protecting children, supporting survivors and tackling trafficking and exploitation

Event details

Date: Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Arrival, registration and light lunch: 12.00pm
Formal programme: 13.00pm–4.30pm
Anniversary reception: 4.30pm–6.30pm
Venue: The Waldegrave Suite, St Mary’s University, Waldegrave Road, Twickenham, TW1 4SX

Join us at AFRUCA on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, at The Waldegrave Suite, St Mary’s University, Twickenham, for our 25th Anniversary Lecture, Book Launch and Reception.

Under the theme Through the Eyes of Survivors: Exploring AFRUCA’s 25 Years of Anti-Trafficking Work, this special event will reflect on AFRUCA’s journey since 2001 through the experiences and perspectives of survivors who have been part of our anti-trafficking work.

The centrepiece of the event will be AFRUCA’s 25th Anniversary Book Launch and Lecture.

Delivered by Debbie Ariyo OBE, Founder and Chief Executive of e

The formal programme will conclude with reflections on AFRUCA’s next chapter, followed by our 25th Anniversary Reception.

Free event but donations are welcome.

Register to attend here

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/afrucasafeguardingchildren/2420976

09/09/2026

This is so distressing to read. The sexual and criminal exploitation of girls is very under-reported, based on our experience of delivering our Phoenix Project in Manchester. We need to intensify work with girls at risk

15/06/2026

We are delighted about this policy statement by the Prime Minister to ban social media for children under the age of 16 years. Access to the internet has created enormous risks for children, pushed them into harm, exploitation, abuse and modern slavery. Good step in the right direction

11/06/2026

What is trafficking? Watch our video - We made it over 10 years ago but it is still very relevant because nothing has changed.

This video was written, directed and produced by the young people c...

27/05/2026

I started AFRUCA Safeguarding Children in May 2001 because I was bothered about children being trafficked into the UK for exploitation, being harmed, abused, even killed.

That was exactly 25 years ago.

So many people have passed through our doors in all that time. Many are still in contact with us. Some are not.

I have often wondered - how do we measure the long term impact of all the work we did with the survivors? How can we be sure that the support we provided 15 years ago has been instrumental in someone’s journey up till the present day?

To collate all this data, I am delighted we are launching the 25for25 project at AFRUCA.

We will follow the stories of 25 of our former service users we worked with many years ago, tracking their journeys of resilience, survival, recovery and independence. We will capture these stories in a compedium for publication online and hard copy as part of our legacy.

This is important especially because government today makes it seem like victims and survivors of modern slavery are out to scam the system. Our experience at AFRUCA points otherwise. Rather than scamming the system, the people we have helped over the years have all overcome the adversity of human trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation against all odds. They are to be celebrated, not derided.

Debbie Ariyo OBE
Founder and CEO of AFRUCA Safeguarding Children

27/05/2026

I started AFRUCA Safeguarding Children in May 2001 because I was bothered about children being trafficked into the UK for exploitation, being harmed, abuse, even killed.

That was exactly 25 years ago.

So many people have passed through our doors in all that time. Many are still in contact with us. Some are not.

I have often wondered - how do we measure the long term impact of all the work we did with the survivors? How can we be sure that the support we provided 15 years ago has been instrumental in someone's journey up till the present day?

To collate all this data, I am delighted we are launching the 25for25 project at AFRUCA.

We will follow the stories of 25 of our former service users we worked with many years ago, tracking their journeys of resilience, survival, recovery and independence. We will capture these stories in a compedium for publication online and hard copy as part of our legacy.

This is important especially because government today makes it seem like victims and survivors of modern slavery are out to scam the system. Our experience at AFRUCA points otherwise. Rather than scamming the system, the people we have helped over the years have all overcome the adversity of human trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation against all odds. They are to be celebrated, not derided.

Debbie Ariyo OBE
Founder and CEO of AFRUCA Safeguarding Children