INHOPE celebrated the 10th anniversary of Te Protejo Colombia by attending the Colombian hotline annual event ‘VIII International Meeting for the Management and Prevention of Abuse and Sexual Exploitation online of children and adolescents – ‘Connected to Protect Them’ with Te Protejo Colombia team in Bogota.

INHOPE met with key stakeholders of Red PaPaz, the organisation that operates the national hotline and the Safer Internet Centre Viguías in Colombia. INHOPE had the opportunity to learn more about national and international actors protecting children and adolescents in digital environments in Colombia. More than twenty contributors - ICMEC, Aldeas Infantiles SOS, UNICEF, Save the Children, Fundación Renacer, Fundación APEGO, Colegio Bilingüe Rochester, Internet Society Colombia Chapter, Colnodo, ETB, RCN Radio and Aulas en Paz, participated in the event together with INHOPE.

The importance of child protection on online platforms and the collaboration with the Colombian hotline was highlighted. One of the major conclusions of the event was that the protection of children and adolescents in digital environments also requires prevention strategies. Some of the actions shared were early interventions with aggressors, coalition building with stakeholders, and specialised care for survivors of sexual violence. It is essential to unite efforts among all these actors to promote the initiatives because we are stronger together.

The INHOPE team also met with the Presidential Counselor for Niñez y la Adolescencia, Ms Carolina Salgado, to discuss national partnerships to tackle child sexual abuse online. The visit to Colombia concluded with a Quality Assurance visit of Te Protejo Colombia to ensure this hotline follows INHOPE’s quality standards. INHOPE evaluated operational, technical, security, and staff welfare practices, and after a thorough review, Te Protejo Colombia received an INHOPE Quality Assurance certification.


The visit of INHOPE staff to Colombia and the organisation of the events took place with support from NEO Philanthropy Foundation.