SCROL 2.0 Evergreen Project
The SCROL 2.0 Evergreen Project, implemented by Emmanuel Development Association (EDA) with technical and financial support from Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TDH NL), addresses the growing risks of Online Child Sexual Exploitation (OCSE), online grooming, cyberbullying, and other forms of digital abuse in three metropolitan towns of the Amhara region: Debre Berhan, Kombolcha, and Dessie. The project aims to strengthen children’s resilience online by promoting safe digital practices, enhancing peer and family support systems, and preventing and responding to OCSE, with a child-centred, participatory approach that empowers children — including those with disabilities — to protect their mental health online and seek help when needed.
Major achievements include training over 450 vulnerable children to identify and respond to OCSE risks; co-creating child-friendly IEC materials and behaviour-change campaigns using theatre, art, music, and sports, reaching more than 2,000 community members; training more than 160 staff, facilitators, and community representatives; providing digital literacy and OCSE prevention training to over 250 parents and caregivers with 80 joining peer-support groups; engaging 300 community and religious leaders as allies for child online protection; and forming child advisory committees and peer mentorship groups to give children a direct voice in project decisions.
The project has improved child confidence in recognizing and refusing online risks, enhanced caregiver-child communication about online safety and mental health, and strengthened local child protection mechanisms through collaboration with government social services and law enforcement. Building on evidence from the three towns, EDA and TDH NL will organize a National Advocacy Workshop on OCSE in Addis Ababa, bringing together federal ministries, the Federal Police, and regional stakeholders to secure commitments for a coordinated national response to child online protection in Ethiopia.
Key Activities & Deliverables
Direct Child Empowerment & Mentorship
- Risk Identification Training: Trained over 450 vulnerable children to recognize and effectively respond to Online Child Sexual Exploitation (OCSE) risks.
- Child Agency: Formed active child advisory committees and peer mentorship groups, ensuring children have a direct voice in project decisions and peer support networks.
Parental Engagement & Community Advocacy
- Caregiver Support: Provided essential digital literacy and OCSE prevention training to more than 250 parents and caregivers, with 80 actively joining dedicated peer-support groups.
- Creative Awareness Campaigns: Co-created child-friendly behavior-change campaigns using theater, art, music, and sports, reaching more than 2,000 community members.
- Leadership Mobilization: Engaged 300 influential community and religious leaders as active allies for child online protection.
Institutional Capacity & National Advocacy
- Workforce Training: Built the capacity of more than 160 project staff, facilitators, and community representatives on digital safety protocols.
- System Strengthening: Enhanced local protection mechanisms by bridging communication between families, government social services, and law enforcement.
- National Policy Prep: Laid the groundwork for an upcoming National Advocacy Workshop on OCSE in Addis Ababa to secure a coordinated response from federal ministries, the Federal Police, and regional stakeholders.