Safeguarding and Protection Framework

01

Foundation

Purpose and Scope

This Safeguarding and Protection Framework establishes Kilimora CLG's commitment to protecting children, young people, and vulnerable adults from harm, abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Kilimora's work spans agricultural technical assistance, MRV product development, cooperative finance, and research partnerships across Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa, bringing our team into sustained contact with smallholder farming communities, cooperative networks, and partner organisations working with vulnerable populations.

Our commitment to safeguarding is inseparable from our core values of economic dignity, radical accessibility, and co-creation. We cannot advance a just transition while failing to protect the communities at the centre of it.

Who This Framework Applies To

This framework applies to all personnel associated with Kilimora including:

Permanent and temporary staff, consultants, and contractors
Volunteers, interns, and fellows including programme scholars
Board members and advisors
Partner organisation personnel implementing Kilimora-supported activities, including cooperative partners, SACCOs, and research institutions
Vendors whose personnel interact with beneficiaries or farming communities
Visitors to programme sites including donors, researchers, and media representatives

What Activities This Framework Covers

Technical assistance delivery to cooperative farming SMEs across all enrolled counties
AgriKonnekt platform deployment, field operations, and farmer onboarding activities
Agroforestry, nutrition, and community capacity-building programmes
Research activities, data collection, and MRV field verification
Partner-implemented activities supported by Kilimora funding or expertise
Events, community gatherings, and training sessions
Digital interactions through AgriKonnekt, USSD interfaces, and online platforms
Communications, media work, and beneficiary photography

Who This Framework Protects

Children

Persons under 18 years in any context of Kilimora's programme work

Young People

Ages 18 to 24 experiencing vulnerability due to economic marginalisation or displacement

Vulnerable Adults

Persons with disabilities, elderly, LGBTQI+ individuals, and others in power-imbalanced situations

Women and Girls

Over 60% of enrolled farmers are women receiving individual mobile money payments

Farming Communities

Cooperative members, smallholders, and all beneficiaries of Kilimora's technical assistance

Digital Participants

USSD users, online platform participants, and all digitally engaged community members

Legal Compliance

This framework ensures compliance with the Kenya Children Act 2022, Kenya Sexual Offences Act 2006, Kenya Persons with Disabilities Act 2003, Kenya Data Protection Act 2019, international standards including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Core Humanitarian Standard, and the safeguarding requirements of donors and institutional partners.

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Violations may result in harm to farming communities and programme beneficiaries, criminal liability for personnel and organisational liability, termination of donor funding and partnership agreements, reputational damage, and disciplinary action up to and including immediate dismissal and referral for prosecution.

02

Foundation

Safeguarding Principles and Definitions

Core Principles

Community-Centred Approach

Protection decisions prioritise community wellbeing over organisational interests. Communities and survivors have the right to be heard, believed, and supported.

Do No Harm

Programme design incorporates safeguarding risk assessments addressing physical, psychological, social, economic, and digital risks before activities begin.

Dignity and Respect

All individuals are treated with fundamental human dignity. Farmers are active participants and co-creators, not passive recipients of services.

Confidentiality Balanced with Protection

Information about abuse cannot be kept completely confidential when disclosure is necessary to protect individuals from harm.

Accountability and Transparency

Open communication about safeguarding policies and performance with communities, partners, and donors. Annual safeguarding performance reports are published.

Non-Discrimination and Inclusion

Protections extend to all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, or language.

Abuse and Exploitation Definitions

Physical Abuse

Hitting, kicking, use of excessive force, corporal punishment, denial of food or medical care as punishment, and exposure to dangerous conditions.

Emotional Abuse

Humiliation, threats of harm, isolation from support systems, and unreasonable expectations inappropriate to age or development.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual assault, harassment or coercion, transactional sex where benefits are conditioned on sexual acts, exposure to pornographic materials, and grooming behaviours.

Neglect

Failure to provide adequate food, water, shelter, medical care, safe living conditions, or protection from violence or exploitation.

Exploitation

Forced labour, theft or misuse of assets, fraud or deception, trafficking, manipulation of dependency relationships, and abuse of authority for personal benefit.

Online Abuse

Online sexual exploitation, cyberbullying, technology-facilitated stalking, inappropriate sharing of personal information or images, and data breaches compromising safety — risks especially relevant given AgriKonnekt's digital infrastructure.

03

Personnel

Safe Recruitment and Personnel Management

Pre-Employment Screening

All positions involving contact with beneficiaries or farming communities require:

Criminal record checks confirming absence of convictions for offences against children or vulnerable adults
Employment history verification contacting previous employers specifically about safeguarding conduct
Educational credential and identity verification
Personal reference checks addressing trustworthiness and suitability for working with vulnerable populations

Enhanced Checks

Enhanced checks apply to high-risk positions involving unsupervised contact with children or vulnerable adults, authority over beneficiary resources, or positions of significant organisational trust. Candidates refusing background checks or providing false information are disqualified.

Safeguarding Induction

All personnel receive safeguarding training before beginning work with farming communities or beneficiaries, covering policy overview, abuse definitions, code of conduct requirements, power dynamics and vulnerability, reporting obligations, investigation and response processes, and consequences of violations. Personnel sign acknowledgments documenting that they received training, understand requirements, and commit to compliance.

Partner Organisation Due Diligence

All partners, including cooperatives, SACCOs, university research partners, and community-based organisations, undergo safeguarding assessment before Kilimora funds or supports their activities. Partnership agreements include mandatory safeguarding clauses requiring partners to:

Maintain adequate policies and screen personnel
Report incidents to Kilimora within 24 hours
Cooperate with investigations
Accept audits of safeguarding practices

04

Conduct Standards

Code of Conduct and Behavioural Standards

Categorically Prohibited Behaviours

The following behaviours result in immediate investigation and likely termination: sexual exploitation and abuse including any sexual activity with programme beneficiaries; exploitation of community members; discrimination and harassment; and breaches of confidentiality.

Required Behaviours

Professional boundaries: Personnel avoid meeting beneficiaries alone in isolated locations, exchanging personal contact information, or entering into financial transactions with enrolled farmers.
Respectful communication: Professional language that accommodates diverse linguistic backgrounds through interpretation and local language delivery, consistent with AgriKonnekt's six-language architecture.
Physical contact: Contact with beneficiaries should be minimal, public, and welcomed. Contact with children should be child-initiated except when necessary for safety.
Digital and online conduct: Use organisational accounts for beneficiary communication. Avoid adding beneficiaries on personal social media. Protect beneficiary privacy by not posting about farmers without explicit informed consent.
Photography and media: Informed written consent is required before photographing, filming, or recording beneficiaries. Children's consent requires parental approval.

Reporting Obligation

All personnel must report safeguarding concerns within 24 hours regardless of certainty. Delay or failure to report constitutes serious misconduct. Good-faith reporting is protected from retaliation.

05

Response

Reporting Procedures and Response Mechanisms

Reporting Channels

Multiple reporting channels are available. All reports, including anonymous ones, are accepted and taken seriously. Retaliation against reporters is prohibited and itself constitutes serious misconduct.

Designated Safeguarding Focal Points

Contact information publicised at programme sites and on organisational materials. Primary channel for all reports.

Anonymous Reporting

Confidential submissions without identity disclosure. Available to all personnel and community members.

Community-Based Reporting

Through cooperative structures and women's groups. Accessible to farming community members and enrolled cooperative partners.

Email Reporting

safeguarding@kilimora.africa — for written reports requiring documentation.

Initial Response — Within 24 Hours

Immediate Safety Assessment

Separate alleged perpetrator from beneficiaries through suspension or access restrictions. Arrange medical care if needed. Notify law enforcement when criminal offences are alleged.

CEO Notification

Designated safeguarding focal point notifies CEO within 24 hours of receipt. Report documented with timestamp, nature, and initial facts.

Victim Support Activation

Designated support person (separate from investigator) assigned. Medical, psychosocial, and safety support arranged.

Investigation Planning

Investigation approach determined. Internal or external investigator appointed based on case type and organisational conflict of interest assessment.

06

Accountability

Investigation Protocols and Disciplinary Procedures

Investigation Principles

Investigations are impartial, evidence-based, thorough, timely (completed within 30 to 60 days depending on complexity), confidential, and trauma-informed. Investigators have no prior relationship with the reporter or subject. External investigations are required for cases involving senior management or board members, serious criminal allegations, or situations creating organisational conflict of interest.

Disciplinary Spectrum

1

Verbal Warning

Minor first violations with no harm to beneficiaries. Documented but not placed on permanent record.

2

Written Warning and Mandatory Training

Repeated minor violations or first moderate violations. Placed on personnel record. Specific training required.

3

Suspension and Reassignment

Substantiated violations with potential harm. Removal from beneficiary contact pending investigation completion.

4

Termination for Cause

Substantiated moderate-to-serious violations. Employment ended immediately. Reference flagged for future safeguarding risk.

5

Mandatory Termination

Mandatory for substantiated sexual exploitation or abuse, child abuse, physical violence against beneficiaries, financial exploitation of farmers, and egregious policy violations.

6

Law Enforcement Referral

Required for criminal offences. Termination plus formal report to Kenya Police Service and relevant regulatory authorities.

07

Care

Victim and Survivor Support

Immediate and Ongoing Support

Following disclosure or discovery of abuse, Kilimora arranges urgent support including medical care, psychosocial crisis counselling, and safety planning. Ongoing support continues throughout investigation and recovery including:

Regular check-ins by a designated support person (separate from the investigator)
Counselling through qualified providers
Peer support connections within cooperative networks
Economic support where abuse resulted in financial harm to enrolled farmers
Legal assistance including support accessing Kenya's formal justice systems

Survivor Autonomy

Survivor agency is respected in all decisions about reporting, investigation participation, and support services. Support continues regardless of a survivor's choices about investigation cooperation or outcomes. Children's processes are age-appropriate with parental involvement where safe.

08

Prevention

Training and Capacity Building

All personnel receive mandatory safeguarding induction before beginning work with farming communities. Training employs interactive methods including case scenarios, role plays, and discussions. Signed acknowledgments document understanding and commitment.

Training Architecture

Mandatory Induction — All Personnel

Policy overview, abuse definitions, code of conduct requirements, power dynamics and vulnerability, reporting obligations, investigation and response processes, and consequences of violations. Delivered before any beneficiary contact.

Annual Refresher Training

Updates personnel on policy revisions, lessons learned from incidents, and emerging risks including technology-facilitated abuse relevant to AgriKonnekt's digital infrastructure.

Role-Specific Content

Field staff, programme managers, investigators, and senior leadership each receive training addressing their particular safeguarding responsibilities and authority.

Partner Capacity Building

Safeguarding orientation, policy development assistance, joint training sessions, and quality assurance for cooperative partners, SACCOs, and community organisations.

09

Partners

Partner and Vendor Safeguarding Management

Prospective partners, including cooperative networks, agroforestry partners, research institutions, and technology providers, undergo safeguarding assessment before collaboration. Risk-based due diligence is enhanced for partners implementing direct community engagement or working with particularly vulnerable populations.

Commercial Vendor Requirements

Commercial relationships with community contact require background checks for vendor personnel, safeguarding orientation, supervision during site activities, and the right to remove personnel violating safeguarding standards.

Consequences for Partner Failures

Serious safeguarding failures result in performance improvement plans, funding suspension, or termination of partnership. Partners must report incidents to Kilimora within 24 hours. Failure to report is itself a breach of partnership terms.

10

Privacy

Communications, Media, and Data Protection

Photography and Consent

Written consent is required before capturing or using beneficiary images, explaining purpose, intended use, access, duration, and specific permissions. Separate consent is required for different uses. Stricter protections apply to children, requiring parental consent in addition to child assent, with identity protection preferred.

Categorically Excluded from Imagery

LGBTQI+ individuals where disclosure creates safety risk
Children in vulnerable situations
Persons with disabilities when imagery reinforces stereotypes
Survivors of abuse or exploitation in any context

Data Protection in Safeguarding Contexts

In line with the Privacy Policy, safeguarding-related personal data is handled with heightened care under the Kenya Data Protection Act 2019. The following categories require explicit separate consent, minimised collection, enhanced security, and anonymisation for research purposes:

Sexual and reproductive health information
Gender-based violence experiences
Disability information
Sexual orientation or gender identity
Criminal justice involvement

Data Sovereignty

Kilimora's commitment to data sovereignty means that farmers own their data and control how it is used. All communications must reflect farmers as active agents and co-creators, not passive recipients, consistent with AgriKonnekt's farmer-owned data architecture.

11

Inclusion

Working with Particularly Vulnerable Groups

Women and Girls in Farming

Over 60% of AgriKonnekt farmers are women. Measures include women-only spaces, female staff availability, GBV referral pathways, and direct individual payments.

Children in Agricultural Contexts

Minimum age requirements for direct programme participation. Family-inclusive programming design. Psychosocial support referrals available at all cooperative sites.

Persons with Disabilities

Physical and communication accessibility, assistive device support, decision-making support, and caregiver screening where relevant to programme participation.

LGBTQI+ Individuals

Strict confidentiality for sexual orientation or gender identity information. Non-discrimination training for all staff and partners. Private engagement options available.

Elderly Farmers

Accessible communication, home-based engagement options, health care linkages, and social inclusion within cooperative structures.

All Vulnerable Persons

Particular attention given to groups experiencing multiple, intersecting forms of marginalisation within the farming communities Kilimora serves.

12

Governance

Policy Governance, Monitoring, and Continuous Improvement

Governance Responsibilities

Board of Directors

Policy approval, strategic oversight, performance monitoring through quarterly reports, serious incident notification, and resource commitment to safeguarding.

Chief Executive Officer

Championing safeguarding across the organisation, policy implementation, personnel decisions on substantiated violations, incident oversight, and board reporting.

Safeguarding Focal Point

Primary contact for all reports, coordinating investigations, supporting victims, tracking incidents, monitoring compliance, and delivering mandatory training.

Risk Assurance Lead

Supporting data governance, safeguarding audit processes, and compliance assurance across partner and cooperative onboarding.

Safeguarding Performance Metrics

24hrs

Maximum response time for all reports including anonymous submissions

30-60

Days to complete investigation depending on case complexity

100%

Personnel trained before first beneficiary contact is the standard

Annual Policy Review

Annual review considers organisational growth including expansion to Uganda and Tanzania, regulatory changes, donor requirements, incident learnings, stakeholder feedback, and sector best practice. The review process includes staff consultation, partner feedback, legal review, and peer benchmarking.

Transparency and Public Reporting

Annual safeguarding reports document incident statistics, investigation and disciplinary actions, training coverage, improvements implemented, and challenges encountered. Reports include neutral and negative findings. Beneficiary communication is provided in plain language and local languages where possible.

✦

Commitment

Acknowledgment of Understanding and Commitment

I acknowledge and commit to this framework.

I acknowledge that I have received, read, and understood the Kilimora CLG Safeguarding and Protection Framework. I understand my responsibilities including prohibited and required conduct, reporting obligations, and consequences of violations. I commit to complying fully with all policy requirements and to creating and maintaining safe environments for the farming communities, cooperative partners, and all individuals whom Kilimora serves.

This acknowledgment is signed by all personnel during safeguarding induction and renewed annually.
Kilimora CLG · Safeguarding and Protection Framework · Effective January 2026 · Author: People Operations and Assurance Lead

Questions or Concerns?

Designated Safeguarding Focal Point: safeguarding@kilimora.africa

General: hello@kilimora.africa

Phone: +254 103 900 367

Baraza Media Lab, Keystone Park, 95 Riverside Drive, Nairobi, Kenya

Safeguarding &ProtectionFramework