Conduct desk research on child safeguarding in football academies in Cameroon

CAMAAY (Cameroon Association of Active Youths) is a nonprofit working on community development across Cameroon, in areas from agriculture and education to health, the environment, and youth programs. Our work runs on donations and grants. Football has a strong following in Cameroon, and many children join football academies hoping to build a career in the sport. CAMAAY has received reports of children in these settings being abused, exploited, and in some cases trafficked, often drawn in by the promise of training or a place on another team and kept silent through threats. This research is the first step of a possible child protection program: it will show what is already documented and where the gaps are, so we can decide whether to run field research and shape later awareness work with academies, parents, and children.

The online volunteer will carry out desk research, entirely online with no fieldwork, on child safeguarding in football academies. The focus is Cameroon, with reference to the wider African and international context where useful. The volunteer will:

Gather and review reports, news coverage, academic articles, and NGO and government sources
Document the forms of abuse, exploitation, and trafficking reported in youth football settings
Map the child protection measures academies currently use or lack, such as reporting channels, transport arrangements, staff vetting, and support for victims
Summarize the national laws and international frameworks on children's rights and safeguarding in sport, and what they require of academies
Identify the gaps between the protections that should exist and current practice
Pull the findings into a clear, well-sourced research brief

The work is remote and can be done on the volunteer's own schedule. We start with a short video call to align on scope, then keep in touch by email and WhatsApp. We ask for a brief written status update once a week and a reply to messages within about two days. A CAMAAY coordinator with a research background will guide the volunteer and review drafts. The brief is due about six to eight weeks after the start date.