Supporting the UN Independent Expert on Albinism at the 43rd Session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in Lesotho in April 2024.
ORGANISATIONS I WORK WITH
UNICEF KENYA
Consultant for UNICEF Kenya to support the Kenyan Government's National Council for Children's Services to develop the National Care Reform Strategy for Children in Kenya 2022-2032 providing a pathway to transition 45,0000 children from institutional care to family and community-based care, and prevent further family separation.​​​
WTM RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
Moderator of the WTM Responsible Tourism panel on child protection and responsible tourism in London in November 2019. The panel included Intrepid Travel, The Code and people and places: responsible volunteering. In more recent years I have both moderated and spoken at similar panels run by the Latin American Travel Association, Freedom United and others.​​​
UN INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON ALBINISM
Consultant for the UN Independent Expert on Albinism to conduct research and later develop the official report to the UN General Assembly in 2024 on Children with Albinism and the Right to a Family Life, as well as other related advocacy and awareness raising activities.​
UNICEF EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA
Child Protection Expert for UNICEF ECA Regional Office with responsibilities including: researching and co-writing technical White Papers on mental health and care, and statutory family support; project managing European Commission-funded TSI projects in Ireland and Portugal; conducting an assessment of the Irish domestic adoption system; facilitating study visits for senior government representatives; delivering webinars; etc.​​
CHILD FRONTIERS
Senior Associate for Child Frontiers offering consultancy support to UNICEF and civil society clients in Africa and Asia on child protection and care reform related projects including: UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa, UNICEF Rwanda and The Salvation Army - Singapore.
CHILDREN UNITE
Children Unite promotes participatory approaches to working with exploited children. As Chair of the Board of Trustees I have supported the development of a new ambitious strategy and the transition to becoming a global collective of practitioners.
​Supporting Better Care Network and ReThink Orphanages to analyse the post-Covid landscape with regards orphanage tourism and volunteering – looking specifically at the tourism, volunteering, education, faith and child protection sectors. Facilitated interactive webinars and developed a report.
Since 2021 I have been working closely with WONDER Foundation in the UK, and its global women’s organisation partners in Nigeria, Kenya, Kazakhstan and India, to support them in developing and implementing culturally contextualised safeguarding policies and procedures.
BETTER CARE NETWORK
WONDER FOUNDATION
FAMILY FOR EVERY CHILD
​Over two years I worked with Family for Every Child as its Interim Member Engagement Manager to support 40 local civil society organisations from across 36 countries, and as the Interim Senior Movement Building Strategist to develop a movement building strategy supported by an online platform, as well as the project management of the annual global 4-day online members’ event.
TEARFUND IRELAND
​Co-designed and co-facilitated a 3-day online training course and 1-day online conference to support NGOs and faith-based organisations from around the world to transition from institutional care to family and community-based care for children.
NEXT GENERATION NEPAL
SOS CHILDREN'S VILLAGES DENMARK
NGN leads work in Nepal on family reintegration, family strengthening and community-based advocacy to prevent orphanage trafficking. Having been NGN's Country Director in Nepal between 2012-16, I continued to support the organisation's work as its Strategic Adviser.
Expert speaker and panelist on issues related to care reform, alternative care and orphanage voluntourism at Child Protection Network Denmark events. These events have been run for civil society organisations and have been facilitated by SOS Bornebyerne (Denmark).
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HOPE AND HOMES FOR CHILDREN
Designed a concept to support the tourism and volunteering industry in developing child-safe products in the post Covid-19 context. This work was related to the ABTA and HHC led Orphanage Tourism Taskforce.
LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS
Speaker and panelist at LSE Discover International Development events and volunteering workshops in 2019 and 2020.
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RESPONSIBLE TOURISM PARTNERSHIP
KARYA
Developed detailed online guidance called Beyond Orphanage Visits: Resources for Travel and Volunteering Organisations on Responsible Alternatives to Orphanage Tourism and Volunteering. The guidance covers the problem with orphanage tourism and volunteering; showcases ethical alternatives; explains the ‘pitfalls’ to avoid then transitioning away from orphanage visits; and signposts to advice on responsible divestment.
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ATOS - ALTERNATIVES TO SEPARATION
Technical adviser to ATOS to support advocacy work promoting deinstitutionalisation and family and community-based care. Also the guest speaker at an ATOS and Crossing Borders event in Copenhagen in December 2019 called "Be a Smart Volunteer!".
Speaker and facilitator of a debate on responsible volunteering and child protection at the Karya Tihar Des Lumieres Pour Les Enfants Festival in Haute-Savoie in France in November 2019.
COMHLAMH - ACTION FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE
Designed and facilitated a workshops for Comhlamh, the Irish Association for Development Workers and Volunteers, based in Dublin. The workshops have supported NGOs, churches and other civil society groups to safely and sustainably transition away from sending volunteers to orphanages, and to run family reintegration and family strengthening programmes.
To find out about my career prior to becoming a consultant, as well as seeing what others say about me, click here.
"In all areas of his work Martin shows the utmost levels of professionalism, dedication to the cause and takes others with him. He is humble, always looking to learn and passionate about people creating change."
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David Coles, London School of Economics and Political Science