Child abuse remains one of the most pressing yet often underreported social issues in Sri Lanka. While public awareness surrounding child protection has increased in recent years, misconceptions, cultural normalization of violence, and limited access to child-friendly educational resources continue to place children at risk. Addressing this challenge requires more than awareness—it requires advocacy, education, action, and sustainable partnerships.
The Voice Against Child Abuse (VACA) 5.0 initiative, organized by the Rotaract Club of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, is a multi-phase child protection movement dedicated to empowering communities, amplifying youth voices, and creating long-term solutions for safeguarding children across Sri Lanka.
Phase 01: Raising Awareness
The first phase of VACA 5.0 focused on creating meaningful public awareness surrounding child abuse and child rights.
A 15-day digital awareness campaign was conducted, highlighting various forms of child abuse, including:
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Neglect
- Child labour
- Child marriage
- Online exploitation
- Grooming and other emerging threats
Each day featured educational content and awareness materials designed to help communities recognize abuse and understand its consequences. The campaign was further amplified through collaborations with influencers, public figures, healthcare professionals, and youth leaders, allowing child protection messages to reach audiences beyond traditional awareness platforms.
To strengthen the campaign’s impact, VACA’s original theme song was reintroduced, symbolizing the project’s continued commitment to child protection over the past five years.
Phase 02: Advocacy Through Youth Engagement
Recognizing the importance of youth participation in shaping social change, VACA 5.0 introduced Speak for Change, an island-wide inter-university policy competition.
University students from across Sri Lanka were invited to propose policy solutions aimed at preventing child abuse and strengthening child protection systems. The competition culminated in a live inter-university debate that explored one of the country’s most relevant child protection discussions:
“Are preventive education policies more effective than criminalization in reducing corporal punishment?”
The event provided a platform for young voices to contribute to national conversations on child protection while encouraging evidence-based discussion and civic engagement.
Phase 03: Education for Prevention
Education remains one of the most effective tools for preventing child abuse.
As part of VACA 5.0, the project successfully revised and expanded Sri Lanka’s first “Good Touch, Bad Touch” educational cartoon. Originally developed through a previous edition of VACA, the resource was updated and, for the first time, fully adapted into Tamil.
The bilingual educational cartoon was created to help children understand personal safety, recognize inappropriate behaviour, and seek help when necessary. By making the resource accessible in multiple languages, the project sought to reach a wider and more diverse audience across the country.
In addition, extensive consultation with child protection experts, paediatricians, and mental health professionals ensured that all educational content was accurate, age-appropriate, and child-friendly.
Phase 04: Action and Sustainable Impact
Awareness and education must be accompanied by practical pathways for action.
To support this goal, VACA 5.0 developed a trilingual child protection poster in Sinhala, Tamil, and English. The poster highlights warning signs of abuse and promotes the National Child Protection Authority’s 1929 Child Protection Hotline, enabling children and communities to access support when needed.
With sponsorship secured for printing and distribution, nearly 50 schools across Sri Lanka have already expressed interest in displaying the resource once formal approval processes are completed.
This phase represents an important step toward transforming awareness into real-world protection and ensuring that children know where to seek help when faced with abuse.
A Landmark Closing Ceremony
The project concluded with a special closing ceremony attended by distinguished representatives from the University of Colombo and the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA).
The event featured:
- The final round of the Speak for Change debate
- A pre-release screening of the bilingual educational cartoon
- Discussions on future child protection initiatives
- Recognition of participants and contributors
The ceremony also attracted national media coverage, further extending the reach of the project’s child protection message.
Most significantly, VACA 5.0 strengthened its long-standing partnership with the NCPA, creating opportunities for future collaboration and wider dissemination of the educational resources developed through the project.
Looking Ahead
While VACA 5.0 has officially concluded, its impact continues beyond the project timeline.
The bilingual educational cartoon, child protection posters, school partnerships, and institutional collaborations established this year provide a strong foundation for future expansion. Plans are already underway to continue these efforts through VACA 6.0, ensuring that the momentum generated this year translates into lasting change.
A Collective Responsibility
Protecting children cannot be the responsibility of a single organization, institution, or individual. It requires communities, educators, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and young people to work together to create safer environments where every child can grow, learn, and thrive.
Through awareness, advocacy, education, and action, VACA 5.0 has taken another step toward building a society where children are heard, protected, and empowered.
As we move forward, we invite everyone to join us in creating a future free from abuse—because every child deserves safety, dignity, and the opportunity to reach their full potential.
