Family for Every Child member Farm Orphan Support Trust (FOST) attended the 47th Ordinary Session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) in Maseru, Lesotho. The session brought together government representatives, experts and civil society organizations from across Africa to advance implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and strengthen protection systems for children across the continent.
The event provided an important platform to raise awareness of kinship care as Africa's most prevalent form of alternative care. FOST secured observer status with ACERWC, creating new opportunities to influence continental policy discussions. During the session, FOST delivered a statement on kinship care that resonated with ongoing discussions around children without parental care and reinforced the need for support systems that recognize and strengthen existing family and community care arrangements.
The session also created opportunities to advance advocacy on sexual violence against boys, an issue that remains invisible in policy discussions and child protection systems. Meetings with special rapporteurs resulted in commitments to collaborate on future advocacy efforts, including engagement around the Second Inter-Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Manila later this year. These discussions highlighted growing recognition that boys affected by sexual violence need more visibility, protection and tailored services.
The outcomes from Maseru demonstrate the value of strategic engagement in regional policy spaces. By bringing evidence and lived realities into high-level discussions, FOST helped elevate both kinship care and the protection of boys from sexual violence within continental child rights agendas. Strong regional momentum exists for embedding kinship care and addressing sexual violence against boys, but sustained advocacy, funding, and collaboration are essential.