emirates7 - The Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi Humanitarian Foundation (KSQF), based in Sharjah, is adopting a forward-thinking strategy to safeguard children by dismantling the systemic conditions that enable abuse, trafficking, and exploitation to persist.
Marking World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on 30th July, KSQF highlights the deep interconnections between today’s global challenges. Climate-induced displacement often leads to children leaving school, increasing their vulnerability to trafficking. Meanwhile, conflict and poverty continue to push children into exploitative labour and criminal activity.
KSQF stresses that these issues are deeply intertwined and cannot be addressed in isolation. Lasting child protection requires a unified, multi-sectoral response.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, child exploitation and trafficking have significantly increased—with a 31% rise in the number of identified child trafficking victims. Globally, around 138 million children remain engaged in child labour, according to ILO and UNICEF. Although this represents a slight from earlier figures of 160 million, the problem remains deeply concerning.
These numbers reflect the scale of the crisis and reveal the vicious cycle in which each new challenge reinforces the conditions for child exploitation and abuse.
With child protection at the core of its mission, KSQF’s initiatives align closely with three key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
SDG 16.2, aimed at ending all forms of violence, exploitation, and trafficking of children;
SDG 5.3, focused on eliminating child marriage and female genital mutilation; and
SDG 8.7, which calls for the eradication of forced labour, human trafficking, modern slavery, and child labour.
“Protection today goes beyond rescue—it’s about structural change,” said Lujan Mourad, Director of KSQF. The foundation’s comprehensive approach is built around three pillars: advocacy programmes, safeguarding measures, and capacity-building efforts. These include prevention through community awareness, direct care and protection services for at-risk children, and partnerships to foster a global collaborative network.
Guiding this mission is the vision of H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of KSQF, widely recognised for her advocacy on children’s rights and humanitarian causes. Her philosophy centres on the belief that protecting children is not an act of generosity, but a matter of justice. Under her leadership, KSQF focuses on tackling the root causes of vulnerability and uplifting marginalized voices through sustainable, long-term initiatives.
Recently, KSQF launched its first international projects targeting the protection of over 30,000 at-risk children and their communities in Zanzibar and Mexico, in partnership with Save the Children International and Plan International. These programmes confront critical issues such as gender-based violence, child exploitation, and the unique dangers faced by migrant children.
In Zanzibar, the foundation is enhancing support services for survivors of violence—benefiting 1,000 individuals directly and another 10,000 through awareness campaigns. In Mexico, the “Guardians of Children” initiative will offer protection and support to 7,000 migrant children and adolescents, while indirectly reaching over 15,000 people through education and community development efforts.
KSQF’s approach centres on local empowerment, sustainability, and the creation of robust systems to safeguard children’s rights over the long term.
As the world observes the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, KSQF reaffirms a powerful message: child protection must shift from reaction to prevention. The global networks that exploit children are evolving—and the response must be equally strategic, coordinated, and unwavering.
Marking World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on 30th July, KSQF highlights the deep interconnections between today’s global challenges. Climate-induced displacement often leads to children leaving school, increasing their vulnerability to trafficking. Meanwhile, conflict and poverty continue to push children into exploitative labour and criminal activity.
KSQF stresses that these issues are deeply intertwined and cannot be addressed in isolation. Lasting child protection requires a unified, multi-sectoral response.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, child exploitation and trafficking have significantly increased—with a 31% rise in the number of identified child trafficking victims. Globally, around 138 million children remain engaged in child labour, according to ILO and UNICEF. Although this represents a slight from earlier figures of 160 million, the problem remains deeply concerning.
These numbers reflect the scale of the crisis and reveal the vicious cycle in which each new challenge reinforces the conditions for child exploitation and abuse.
With child protection at the core of its mission, KSQF’s initiatives align closely with three key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
SDG 16.2, aimed at ending all forms of violence, exploitation, and trafficking of children;
SDG 5.3, focused on eliminating child marriage and female genital mutilation; and
SDG 8.7, which calls for the eradication of forced labour, human trafficking, modern slavery, and child labour.
“Protection today goes beyond rescue—it’s about structural change,” said Lujan Mourad, Director of KSQF. The foundation’s comprehensive approach is built around three pillars: advocacy programmes, safeguarding measures, and capacity-building efforts. These include prevention through community awareness, direct care and protection services for at-risk children, and partnerships to foster a global collaborative network.
Guiding this mission is the vision of H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of KSQF, widely recognised for her advocacy on children’s rights and humanitarian causes. Her philosophy centres on the belief that protecting children is not an act of generosity, but a matter of justice. Under her leadership, KSQF focuses on tackling the root causes of vulnerability and uplifting marginalized voices through sustainable, long-term initiatives.
Recently, KSQF launched its first international projects targeting the protection of over 30,000 at-risk children and their communities in Zanzibar and Mexico, in partnership with Save the Children International and Plan International. These programmes confront critical issues such as gender-based violence, child exploitation, and the unique dangers faced by migrant children.
In Zanzibar, the foundation is enhancing support services for survivors of violence—benefiting 1,000 individuals directly and another 10,000 through awareness campaigns. In Mexico, the “Guardians of Children” initiative will offer protection and support to 7,000 migrant children and adolescents, while indirectly reaching over 15,000 people through education and community development efforts.
KSQF’s approach centres on local empowerment, sustainability, and the creation of robust systems to safeguard children’s rights over the long term.
As the world observes the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, KSQF reaffirms a powerful message: child protection must shift from reaction to prevention. The global networks that exploit children are evolving—and the response must be equally strategic, coordinated, and unwavering.