On October 29, 2025, leaders, partners, and champions of child protection from both Kenya and Ethiopia gathered under one roof, not just to mark the close of a project, but to celebrate a movement that has redefined what it means to protect children across borders. The atmosphere in the hall was filled with both pride and emotion as magistrates from Kenya, prosecutors from Ethiopia, representatives from the Departments of Children Services, Women and Children Affairs, the police, transport sectors, the Ministry of Education, the Kenya Wildlife Service, OCS, DCC offices, religious leaders, community representatives, and dedicated consultants reflected on a journey that has transformed lives and systems alike.

The BMZ-funded cross-border child protection initiative, implemented by Strategies for Northern Development (SND) in partnership with Terre des Hommes Germany, began as a response to deep-seated vulnerabilities in the borderlands of Kenya and Ethiopia, harmful traditional practices, child trafficking, and unsafe migration that robbed children of their innocence and future. Three years later, it closes as a beacon of regional solidarity, proof that justice, when shared across borders, can heal generations.

As findings from the project were disseminated, one truth stood out: real change had taken root. In Marsabit and beyond, girls who once faced early marriage are now in classrooms, their laughter replacing silence. Law enforcers who once struggled in isolation now collaborate across borders through the Cross-Border Child Protection Working Group, tracking perpetrators and rescuing children with a single call. Courts, once intimidating, have become classrooms of hope, thanks to magistrates, whose empathy turned legal spaces into sanctuaries of empowerment. Teachers, are now protectors and mentors, and community heroines, have turned their homes into safe havens where girls rediscover dignity.

The data spoke volumes:
• 173 child protection cases reported and acted upon.
• Over 630 children empowered through Child Rights Clubs across 21 schools.
• A 5% rise in girls’ enrollment, and a visible decline in harmful traditional practices.
• Cross-border collaboration that closed gaps once exploited by traffickers.
• Policy influence that shaped county budgets, legal frameworks, and even national discourse.

From the presentation of the study “Child Trafficking and Unsafe Migration Between Kenya and Ethiopia” to the testimonies of officers, teachers, and survivors, the meeting reaffirmed that child protection is not a border issue, it’s a shared human commitment.

As one Ethiopian prosecutor remarked during the meeting, “We have removed the borders of justice, now we act as one for the children.”

And as a community elder from Moyale added, “This project taught us that culture can protect, not just harm, if we choose courage.”

The close-out meeting was not an ending, but a passing of the torch, to governments, communities, and future generations to sustain and scale this work. In his reflections, Mama Shamsia reminded everyone, “These children now know justice belongs to them. And that is our greatest victory.”

As the curtains fell, gratitude filled the room, to every partner, government institution, community leader, and child who became part of this transformation. Together, they proved that when nations unite for a shared purpose, borders become bridges, and childhood becomes sacred again.

Click here to learn more: https://bit.ly/47RQZlF
Click here to get the full report on Child Trafficking and Unsafe Migration Between Kenya and Ethiopia: https://bit.ly/4hD0cBL

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