About
Protecting children through safeguarding and accountability
TillyExtraSteps is a safeguarding and child protection NGO supporting schools, faith-based organisations, and communities to build safe, inclusive, and accountable environments for children and young people across Africa and the diaspora.
Who we are
A practical, ethical approach to safeguarding
TillyExtraSteps operates at the intersection of education, safeguarding, mental health, human rights, and institutional leadership. The organisation supports institutions in strengthening the systems, skills, and culture required to protect children — not only in policy, but in everyday practice.
The work is grounded in field realities: where the absence of clear safeguarding structures can leave children vulnerable, and where intentional leadership can transform institutions. Safeguarding is not a checklist. It is a culture of responsibility, a commitment to accountability, and a deliberate choice to ensure that children’s voices are respected and protected.
Core principle
Children’s safety should never depend on silence, chance, or goodwill. It must be embedded through training, clear policies, safe reporting pathways, and consistent accountability.
Field experience
Institutional safeguarding practice in an international school environment (Bahrain)
This experience anchors the organisation’s approach in day-to-day institutional reality — supporting safeguarding practice, reporting culture, and safe systems within a school setting, with a focus on practical implementation and accountability.
Background
A professional foundation informed by field practice
TillyExtraSteps is grounded in education practice, safeguarding systems strengthening, and rights-based work. The organisation combines structured training with institutional realities — supporting organisations that work with children and young people to build safer environments that are clear, practical, and sustainable.
Education & training
Learner-centred pedagogy, educator support, and capacity building for teachers and caregivers.
Safeguarding systems
Prevention, reporting pathways, roles and responsibilities, and institutional safeguarding culture.
Rights-based practice
Child rights frameworks, human dignity, and ethical safeguarding principles that prioritise safety and voice.
The work draws on recognised safeguarding standards while remaining attentive to local contexts, cultural sensitivities, and institutional capacity — particularly across Africa and the diaspora. The focus remains on solutions that leaders and teams can implement, maintain, and improve over time.
Why safeguarding matters
From intention to action, from awareness to accountability
Too many institutions still lack essential safeguards: trained safeguarding leads, clear child protection policies, safe reporting mechanisms, and practical accountability systems. When these foundations are missing, risk increases — and children may feel unsafe, unheard, or unprotected.
- Safeguarding is non-negotiable — it must be embedded, not optional.
- Teachers are first-line child protectors — training must match responsibility.
- Mental health matters — wellbeing and safety are inseparable in education.
- Institutions must lead — with systems that protect, listen, and respond.
How we work
Collaborative, practical, and sustainable
TillyExtraSteps works with institutions where they are — strengthening capability without overwhelming teams. The approach supports leadership and frontline staff to create clarity, build confidence, and embed safeguarding practice into daily routines and decision-making.
Collaborative delivery
Working alongside institutions to co-design solutions aligned with their context, culture, and capacity.
Practical implementation
Training, tools, and guidance that can be applied immediately and sustained over time.
Ethical safeguarding
Child-centred, rights-based practice with attention to safety, dignity, and responsible reporting.
Systems thinking
Moving beyond one-off sessions to build safeguarding structures that endure — people, policy, and process.
Leadership
Founded and led by Mathilda Muatesih Sangha
Mathilda Muatesih Sangha is the founder and strategic lead of TillyExtraSteps. She is a trained educator and safeguarding advocate committed to strengthening child protection systems within schools, faith-based organisations, and community spaces.
The NGO provides a structured platform for training, advocacy, and partnership-based safeguarding initiatives, supporting institutions to build a culture where children are protected, heard, and respected.
Safeguarding children is not an option — it is a responsibility.
Available for institutional support, partnerships, training, and advocacy initiatives.
TillyExtraStep 