The initiative, unveiled during a national workshop in Bakoteh, positions The Gambia as the first English-speaking country to join the regional ARONCY alliance, which aims to strengthen cybersecurity standards across humanitarian organisations and protect sensitive data from increasingly sophisticated cybercriminals.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, SOS Children’s Villages The Gambia National Director Jean Pierre Kouamin described cybersecurity as a strategic necessity rather than an optional investment, warning that NGOs are becoming prime targets because they hold confidential information on children, beneficiaries, donors and financial operations.
Drawing from the organisation’s own experience, Kouamin recalled the devastating global cyberattack that struck SOS Children’s Villages in 2021, paralysing operations in 136 countries and territories.
“For more than 24 hours there was a complete blackout. We couldn’t send emails, access our data or carry out financial transactions. It demonstrated how quickly a cyberattack can cripple an organisation,” he said.
He stressed that the consequences of cyberattacks extend far beyond financial losses, warning that compromised child protection records, donor information and confidential case files could have serious implications for the safety and privacy of vulnerable families.
According to figures presented during the workshop, almost half of NGOs have already suffered cyberattacks, while seven out of every ten organisations lack the internal systems and expertise needed to detect, contain and recover from digital incidents.
Representing ARONCY and NetHope, Jean Lamin Marenah, ICT Manager at SOS Children’s Villages The Gambia, said humanitarian organisations are increasingly being targeted through phishing scams, ransomware, identity theft and data breaches because the information they manage is as valuable as records held by banks and hospitals.
He noted that while many international NGOs have invested in cybersecurity, numerous local organisations continue to face significant vulnerabilities, making capacity building and information sharing essential.
The ARONCY initiative seeks to establish minimum cybersecurity standards for NGOs, improve compliance with national data protection laws, strengthen donor confidence and create a collaborative network capable of responding effectively to emerging cyber threats.
Also speaking, Olimatou Saho, Compliance, Anti-Bribery and Corruption Officer at SOS Children’s Villages The Gambia, said safeguarding digital information is now fundamental to child protection, adding that stronger partnerships, continuous staff training and enhanced internal controls will help ensure that sensitive information shared among humanitarian organisations remains secure.
Organisers said the initiative is expected to strengthen cybersecurity resilience across The Gambia’s NGO sector, improve the protection of vulnerable communities and build greater public confidence in organisations entrusted with sensitive personal data.
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