NAt MAONO Centre for Transformation, we believe every child deserves the rights to freedom, safety, education and opportunity to reach their full potential. Yet, millions of children around the world remain trapped in exploitative situations as domestic workers, hidden behind the closed doors of households. Early March, MAONO hosted a powerful training to raise awareness and build capacity around protecting child domestic workers and combating human trafficking for domestic servitude. The training was an eye-opener with sessions diving deep into the realities, causes and legal frameworks surrounding this oft-overlooked issue. Child domestic work is one of the most prevalent yet invisible forms of child labour globally. Through hard-hitting statistics, an estimated 17.2 million children aged 5-17 are domestic workers globally, with 63% being girls reflecting major gender inequities. Poverty, discrimination, lack of access to education and trafficking all enable this unjust practice robbing children of their fundamental rights. The training's interactive sessions like scenarios and case studies powerfully humanized the experiences of child domestic workers enduring long hours, hazardous conditions, abuse, restricted movement and foregone education and childhood. One participant reflected, "The stories and visuals made the injustices intuitive and real, not just dry facts." The knowledge of international legal standards like International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions 138 and 182 which mandate minimum ages for employment, prohibit worst forms like trafficking, and enshrine the right to education are denied to so many children in domestics setups. While the realities are sobering, MAONO is committed to being a force for positive transformation. We outlined key priorities like: • Advocating for Kenya to ratify and uphold ILO child labour conventions which is fundamental in reducing the 1.3 million child labour related concerns • Expanding livelihoods programs to alleviate the poverty fuelling families pushing children into domestic work • Developing "second chance" education and vocational training pathways for continued transition. • Raising community awareness through campaigns about child domestic work and exploitation • Enhancing services to support survivors and victims of child within Dandora community and beyond • Collaborating with law enforcement to prevent and respond to child trafficking rings. The road ahead is long, the training equipped the participants with knowledge, motivation and strategies to spearhead change. As one participant stated, "I feel prepared to truly make a difference ending the injustice of child domestic labour with the Dandora community and beyond." No child should be trafficked, enslaved or robbed of their fundamental rights and childhood. By lifting the veil on these hidden injustices, we move one step closer to a society of freedom, dignity and opportunity for all. With expertise and bold action, we can bring these invisible workers out of the shadows of domestic oppression. MAONO calls on all caring citizens to join this vital movement.