KCS is glad to welcome a new team member: Freda Kukua Hammond, the first Apprentice on the new KCS Safeguarding Apprenticeship Programme.
Freda is based in Ghana, where she studies law at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.
We asked Freda a few questions about her experience with child safeguarding and her motivation to join the team.
What inspired you to join Keeping Children Safe?
‘My inspiration comes from a personal experience of truly being heard and protected; something I later came to understand as safeguarding. In 2020, during the height of COVID-19, I was on a year-abroad exchange program in France.
The second semester was moved to online tutition and I suddenly found myself spending most days alone. With borders closed and commercial flights cancelled, my daily calls with my family often circled around one difficult question: will I see you again?
When the Ghanaian government organised an evacuation flight for stranded students, I realised in a very personal way what it means for someone or, in my case, the government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to safeguard your wellbeing.
Later, working with the Safeguarding Team at Mastercard Foundation helped me put language to that experience. It clarified and strengthened my motivation to work in a space where children’s safety, dignity and sense of being seen truly matter.’
What are the main fields or topics you wish to work on as part of KCS team?
‘I am especially committed to raising awareness about safeguarding. I realised its importance only much later and many of my peers still don’t fully understand what safeguarding entails. That is why I am passionate about supporting people in gaining the knowledge, language and confidence to recognise safeguarding issues and play their part in creating safer environments for children and young people.’
What skills or vision do you hope to contribute to the team?
‘Drawing from my experience in the private, public and non-profit sectors, I hope to bring a balanced and practical perspective to the team.
My time in the private sector exposed me to fast-paced, results-driven environments where you learn to engage stakeholders, manage competing interests and think strategically to shape solutions fit for different audiences.
My public and non-profit sector experience has strengthened my understanding of program design and how policies affect people in real ways.
Combined with my legal studies, this helps me approach issues with nuance, interpret situations carefully and consider each case on its own merits.
Overall, I aim to contribute a multidisciplinary lens that supports the team in developing clear, context-sensitive and people-centered solutions.’
Why is child safeguarding important to you?
‘Child safeguarding matters deeply to me because it is personal. I have three siblings under the age of 18, and my exposure to the development space has made it almost instinctive to see them in the faces of the children we aim to protect. It constantly reminds me that every policy, guideline or intervention affects someone’s child, sibling or family member.
Through my volunteer work, I have also seen at firsthand the risks that children face daily; risks that many have come to normalise because of the circumstances they live in. Witnessing this has strengthened my belief that children deserve environments where their safety, dignity and wellbeing are actively protected. Safeguarding provides that foundation – that is why it matters to me.’