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Protect, Educate, Empower

Partner with us in our mission to eradicate child exploitation and create a world where every child can grow up safe, empowered, and loved. Together, we can give children the future they deserve.

About Us

Marianco is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children from the horrors of trafficking, exploitation and abuse. Founded by Francisco Padilla, a former street orphan from Cartagena, Colombia, Marianco is committed to safeguarding the rights of children and ensuring they have a future full of hope and opportunities. We believe that every child deserves to grow up in a world where they are protected, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential.

Learn more about our work

What we work on

  • Children arms on shoulders

    Child trafficking

    Children are moved across borders and sold. We work where that begins — with families under pressure, schools that can spot the warning signs, and communities that know what to do when a child goes missing.

  • Children in a circle

    Child sexual abuse material

    Every image is a record of a real child being harmed, and it keeps circulating long after the abuse stops. We support reporting, removal and the slow work of helping survivors live with it.

  • Children sitting on wall

    Commercial sexual exploitation

    Children are not selling anything. They are being sold — usually by someone they know, often because there is no other way to eat. We work on both the adults who exploit and the poverty they rely on.

How we work

  • Protect

    We help families, teachers and neighbours recognise how children are approached, and what to do in the hours that matter.

  • Educate

    School programmes, workshops and scholarships. A child who stays in school is far harder to reach.

  • Empower

    Skills training and support for the adults around a child, so the family is not forced into the choice traffickers rely on.

What the numbers show
Child exploitation, as measured by the bodies that track it

The scale

  • 1.2 million

    Children trafficked each year — ILO/UNICEF estimate

  • 1 million

    Children in commercial sexual exploitation — ILO estimate

  • 70–80%

    Of identified child trafficking victims are girls — UNODC Global Report

  • 36.2 million

    Reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation in 2023 — NCMEC CyberTipline

  • Estimates are inherently uncertain: these crimes are hidden, and the true figures are almost certainly higher. Each number above names the organisation that published it and the year, so you can check it yourself.

Upcoming Events

Join us in making a difference. Participate in our upcoming events and initiatives.

Featured Articles

Discover our latest insights, research, and stories about protecting children and creating lasting change.

Etik vid forskning om barnmisshandel

October 24, 2025

Etik vid forskning om barnmisshandel

Det finns olika sätt att samla information om fall av barnmisshandel, men undersökningar är fortfarande en av de mest effektiva metoderna. För att genomföra undersökningar om barnmisshandel – en komplex process som kräver strikta etiska protokoll och specialiserade metoder – måste forskare prioritera deltagarnas säkerhet och välbefinnande. En undersökning kan rikta sig mot förekomsten av misshandel i en population eller användas för screening och klinisk bedömning inom vården. Dock finns det många etiska överväganden innan sådan forskning genomförs, såsom ålder och anonymitet.

Read Article
Barnmisshandel och sexuell exploatering i Afrika: Att konfrontera en tyst nödsituation

October 17, 2025

Barnmisshandel och sexuell exploatering i Afrika: Att konfrontera en tyst nödsituation

I hela Afrika växer miljontals barn upp under skuggan av sexuellt våld och exploatering. Bakom stängda dörrar, i skolor, flyktingläger och i allt högre grad på digitala plattformar, utsätts otaliga pojkar och flickor för övergrepp som berövar dem värdighet, säkerhet och löftet om en bättre framtid. Kriserna är akuta – men alltför ofta osynliga. De kräver inte bara medkänsla utan också koordinerad och långsiktig handling från regeringar, samhällen och internationella partners.

Read Article

Make a Difference Today

Your donation helps us protect vulnerable children and fight against exploitation. Every contribution, no matter how small, brings us closer to a world where every child is safe.

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