2. Who are we?
Save the Children works in more than 120
countries.We save children‟s lives.We fight for
their rights.We help them fulfil their potential.
3. A quick history lesson
At the beginning of the 20th century, two sisters had
a vision to achieve and protect the rights of children.
Their vision has survived into the 21st century. In
2009, we celebrated our 90th anniversary.
Eglantyne Jebb
Dorothy Buxton Declaration of the rights of the child
4. Where we work – worldwide
WE‟REWORKING WORLDWIDE
in120 countries, including countries that are dangerous to
work in and hard to access like Syria, the Democratic
Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
5. What we do:
Our international work is split 50/50
between:
•responding to emergencies across the world
•long-term development work
8. Syria
- March 15th marked the 2 year anniversary of the Syria
conflict.
- More than 1 million refugees have fled to
Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq.
- Millions more are in need of help inside of Syria.
- We are on the ground in Syria and we are also
responding to the needs of people living in IDP camps
and in host communities in neighbouring countries.
- We have reached over 272,000 people
9.
10.
11.
12. Causes of death among children
under five
40
24
18
11
7
5 2 21 Neonatal
Other
Pneumonia
Diarrhoea
Malaria
Injuries
HIV/ AIDS
Meningitis
Measles
13. Health
In 2011 6.9 million children died before reaching the
age of 5.
More than 3 million of these children died in their
first 28 days of life.
Millions of children die each year from diseases like
diarrhoea and pneumonia that are completely
preventable.
By 2015 Save the Children has committed to:
• Stopping over 3 million children worldwide dying from killer diseases such
as pneumonia and diarrhoea, as well as from severe malnutrition.
• Training 50,000 health workers so that many more children can be
diagnosed quickly and treated effectively.
14. OUR APPROACH to
health
• Training midwives to safely deliver babies
• Training health workers to diagnose and
treat the most deadly diseases
• Building clinics so as many people as possible can have
access to healthcare
• WASH programmes in emergencies
15. Wash
• 1 in 8 of the world's population do not
have access to safe water
• Two fifths of the world's population do not have
access to adequate sanitation (no sewage
system, toilets or latrines)
• 2 million children die every year from diarrhoea
caused by unclean water and poor sanitation
17. Where things stand
• In 2000 world leaders committed themselves
to reducing child deaths by two-thirds and
maternal deaths by three-quarters by 2015.
This was Millennium Development Goal 4.
• Progress has been made, with the number
of child deaths per year dropping from
12.4 million in 1990 to 6.9 million in 2011,
but we must do much more.
18. In Sierra Leone we treated 48,000 children
under 5 for malaria, and13,000 more for
diarrhoea
19. In Nigeria 181,000
pregnant women
were given antenatal
care – up from fewer
than 15,000 in 2009
and 100,000 births
were attended by a
midwife or nurse – up
from 8,000 in 2009.
20. Hunger
Malnutrition leaves children too weak to fight off
deadly diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea.
It is the underlying cause of 2.3m child deaths every
year. That‟s 260 every single hour.
In poor countries, 1 in 4 children suffer from stunting
due to malnutrition
By 2015 Save the Children has committed to:
• Stop 5 million children going hungry through food fortification, cash
transfers and early intervention to prevent food crises.
• Treat 300,000 children from severe malnutrition.
21. hunger
Our Approach
• Avoiding crises and helping recovery: In the 1980s we developed a ground-
breaking approach to predicting food shortages and preventing malnutrition.
• Cash in hand: Allows families to spend the money on what they need e.g.
buying food, seeds, tools to farm, paying off debt or putting money away for the
following year.
• Breastfeeding saves lives: We promote the benefits of breastfeeding to
mothers, health workers and communities. Ensuring babies are breastfed for the
first 6 months could save 1.3m children‟s lives every year.
• Feeding children in an emergency: Children lose weight quickly and, unless
there is a quick response from aid agencies, become malnourished.
22. In Bangladesh in an
area with high rates of
child malnutrition, we
supported 14,000
very poor
households. We
helped families
increase their income
and as a result
children’s nutrition
improved
significantly.
23. EDUCATION
61 million children are out of school globally.
Girls still account for 60% of out of school
children.
There are 200 million children in school, but not
learning adequately (i.e. do not have the
appropriate level of literacy.) - based on whether
they can read/write a simple sentence in their 1st
language
By 2015 Save the Children has committed to bring education and
literacy to 12 million children.
24. Our approach to
education
• Giving all children access to education – including
children in conflict affected states
• Making sure girls have access to
school
• Making sure children get an
education worth having
25. education
• Mobile schools in Ethiopia
• Providing safe school transport in
Mozambique
• Working with parents and local communities to
enable children from poor families to go to school
26. We‟ve helped 141,000 children into school in South
Sudan, built classrooms and trained more than 700
teachers.
27. In Ethiopia‟s Somali region, children‟s education is often
disrupted as families move in search of water and green
pastures. We‟ve introduced „mobile schools‟, where
the teacher moves with the children, and we‟re offering
evening classes for children who work during the day.
28. - A new programme that encourages children to use artistic expression –
drawing, painting, music, drama and dance to help them cope with
traumatic events.
- HEART has reached more than 10,000 children.
- We are running the programme in Mozambique, Haiti, Malawi and
Nepal.
heart
29. Child Protection
By 2015 Save the Children has committed to keep 6 million children safe from
danger and exploitation through child protection work in orphanages, conflict
situations and emergencies.
1.2 million children are trafficked each year.
115 million children are engaged in child
labour.
Approximately 60% of (reported) survivors of
sexual violence are children.
Just over 1 billion children live in countries or
territories affected by armed conflict and
thousands of children are recruited into
armed forces.
30. OUR APPROACH TO CHILD
PROTECTION
• Setting up Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) in emergency settings
• Reuniting children with their families
• Stopping children being involved in child labour, being recruited
into armed forces or being trafficked
• Setting up referral programmes so that traumatised children
can get the psycho-social support they need
31.
32. We run a leading child
protection programme in
the DRC. We have worked
with local communities to
protect 9,300 children
from being conscripted or
abducted into armed groups
and we have given support
to 493 at-risk children.
33. History
milestones
• 1920s - Campaigned for free
school milk and dinners
• 1930s - Established nursery schools from children
whose mothers were working in munitions factories
• 1940s - Provided junior clubs for school age children to
give them a safe place to play away from the bombsites
36. FAST
FAST supports parents in improving their children’s learning and
development at home, so they can reach their full potential at school.
• 5% improvement in reading, writing and maths.
• Nine out of 10 parents said their relationship with their child had
grown stronger.
• 88% felt better able to support their child‟s education.
DEAN’S STORY
Dean was struggling at school and his mum was concerned about his
future. She wanted to help him, but didn‟t know how.
At FAST, Dean‟s mum met other parents and got ideas and confidence
to support Dean.
Dean‟s behaviour and schoolwork has greatly improved since FAST and
he told us “at school I am working harder…I am improving in Maths and
English.”
38. Eat, sleep, Learn, Play!
• Eat, Sleep, Learn, Play is a programme designed to support
children and families across the UK who are in the most
desperate need.
• The programme directly provides families with
household essentials, such as a child’s bed, a cooker or
educational books and toys. The average cost of the items
provided is £200.
• To qualify a family must have a child under the age of
three, be on an income of under £16,000 and be receiving
benefits.
39. ESLP IN 2013
• This year we aim to give 6,500 grants
• We are planning to run ESLP in many more
of the country‟s poorest areas such as
Tower Hamlets in London, parts of the
North East, Birmingham and Liverpool and
new regions in Scotland and Wales
42. ENOUGH FOOD FOR
EVERYONE IF…
we give enough aid to stop children dying of hunger, and help the poorest
people feed themselves
we stop big companies dodging taxes in poor countries, so that millions of
people can free themselves from hunger
we stop farmers being forced off their land, and use crops to feed people,
not fuel cars
we force governments and big corporations to be honest and open about
their actions that stop people getting enough food
43. How the money is spent
From every one pound
raised, we spend 89p
helping and saving
children.With the
remaining 11p
we go out and raise
another pound.
Founded in…1919 by sisters Dorothy Buxton and Eglantyne Jebb. BuxtonBuxton was the driving force behind the setting up of Save the Children. She was a radical left wing protester who campaigned for peace during the First World War. She had been importing European newspapers which revealed that everyday life in Germany was worse than the government propaganda suggested. The Allied Blockade of central and Eastern Europe was preventing food from getting into Germany and Austria and there were over 1 million children facing starvation. Dorothy joined a pressure group called Fight the Famine council to try to persuade the government to end the blockade. When the blockade ended the struggle in Germany continued and Buxton knew it was imperative to respond with relief and so she set up Save the Children to fundraise for the cause and to provide humanitarian aid to the starving children in Germany. She called Jebb in to head the organisation. JebbDistributed leaflets in Trafalgar Square to inspire people to political action. She showed images of children suffering from malnutrition. She knew she had to use extreme/ emotive famine images to inspire people to act- she knew she would have to appeal to their humanity. Eglantyne was arrested for doing this because she hadn’t gained permission from the wartime consensus. She was taken to court and the prosecution lawyer focused on the fact that what she had done was illegal. She lost the case and was fined £5. The prosecution lawyer decided to pay the fine himself because he was so moved by Buxton’s impassioned plea for children and he was won over by the cause. His £5 was the first donation to the Save the Children fund. Declaration of the rights of the childWritten by EJ - a series of rights that she believed should be enforced for children: 1. The child must be given the means requisite for its normal development, both materially and spiritually. 2. The child that is hungry must be fed, the child that is sick must be nursed, the child that is backward must be helped, the delinquent child must be reclaimed, and the orphan and the waif must be sheltered and succoured. 3. The child must be the first to receive relief in times of distress. 4. The child must be put in a position to earn a livelihood, and must be protected against every form of exploitation. 5. The child must be brought up in the consciousness that its talents must be devoted to the service of its fellow men.It was formally endorsed by the League of Nations in 1923. This document formed the basis of today’s UN Convention on the Rights of the Child- an international human rights treaty which includes civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. It sets out in detail what every child needs to have for a safe, happy and fulfilled childhood.It completely changed the terms of the debate around what is considered acceptable for children and has now been ratified by nearly every country in the world. Save the Children had originally been set up to help the children in Germany and Austria but Save the Children was called on again and again to respond to different emergencies around the world.
We respond to different types of emergencies:Natural disasters including tsunamis, earthquakes and floodsConflictsFood crisesOutbreaks of disease including cholera (Sierra Leone 2012)High profileGaza conflictWest Africa food crisisLow profile- Floods in the Philippines
In 2012 we responded to emergencies in 53emergencies - delivering life-saving food, water, healthcare, protection and education to 4 million children and their family members.
On the ground… in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq providing assistance to the IDP camps and to families who have remained in Syria. Operating in areas occupied by the Government as well as areas occupied by the rebels.We have deployed a response team to deliver aid directly and we are also working through partner organisations (Syria Relief and Quest Scope)We have reached nearly 272,000 people across the region: we're providing essential items to families who have lost everything.Winter responseOur teams gave families blankets, mattresses, stoves and fuelWhen winter began to bite, we launched an intensive programme to support children though months of sub-zero temperatures by strengthening shelters and distributing warm clothes and shoes. Figures1.7 million refugees, 52% of which are children (UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, keeps data about each refugee that crosses out of Syria)80,000 people have been killed and 300,000 have been injured. Thousands of displaced people are sleeping out in caves, parks or barns. ChildrenChildren are not being spared from the violence. Children are being killed and maimed by the use of shells.They are being recruited by armed groups and forces. One in three children have reported being hit, kicked or shot at whilst inside Syria. HealthHalf of Syria’s hospitals have been damaged and many doctors have fled. This means that medicines for sick or severely injured children is difficult to access.With every passing day, the lack of vaccinations increases the potential for epidemics.Diseases such as Typhoid and Hep A are on the increase.Damaged sanitation systems and no solid waste collection. EducationThousands of schools have been destroyed by the fighting; while many more are being used as temporary shelters for families fleeing the violenceZa’atariOver 174,000 refugees
Three year old Sana fled with her mother and 3 sisters after their home was shelled. They spent their final days in Syria crammed into one room for with 12 other people. None of them left the room for 2 weeks. Then her father left the room and was shot by a sniper. She saw him die.
HealthFree medical consultations for pregnant women, new mothers and children (checking for anaemia and malnutrition)Distributing newborn kits (baby clothes, towel, nappies, baby soap) Hygiene kits (soap, toilet paper, tooth paste, tooth brush, household water purifiers)EducationRehabilitating schools and providing school kitsRehabilitating schoolsOffering classes in computer literacy, embroidery, Arabic language and Sport.Child Friendly Spaces We're creating safe areas for children to meet, play, and talk through their experiences – we know that the quicker we can help these children and their families cope with their experiences, the faster their recovery will be. Education: children learn how to write letters in English & Arabic, learn how to read and learn basic mathematicsChild Protection Child Protection Committees (made up of parents, teachers, religious leaders and community leaders) they get together to address child protection concerns – they draw up action plans and put child protection measures in place. Food in Za’atariWorking with WFP, we are doing large scale food distributions in Za’atari refugee camps - distributing bread every day to over 119,000 refugees.End the violenceSave is a non-political and non-partisan organisation and does not take any position that could compromise our neutrality. We are a rights based children's organisation who works in development and humanitarian contexts. Our focus is saving children's lives and ensuring children don't suffer. All sides in this conflict have international legal obligations not to harm children. We must make sure children in war zones are protected and that aid agencies can reach them with the help they urgently need. Save the Children believes that only an end to the war is will stop the suffering and start the process of reconciliation and rebuilding.The situation in Syria is unlikely to improve in the near future. We are working tirelessly to meet the needs of vulnerable children and their families forced to flee their homes as a result of the conflict.We are pressing for peace - it is imperative that the 5 permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – America, Britain, China, France and Russia – unite around a plan to end the violence and ensure humanitarian aid reaches children in Syria.It is not our role to make recommendations on political or military decisions. The responsibility is with the UN Security Council to unite around a plan to end the violence and ensure humanitarian aid reaches children in Syria.Cost examples£15 could provide blankets for refugee children to protect them from the cold nights.£150 (£12.50 a month)could help us provide specialist emotional support to a child that has been deeply traumatised by the horrors he or she has witnessed or experienced.
Launched the campaign in 2011Millions of children dying each year from preventable causes Recognised gaps in efforts to reduce global child mortality figures: shortage of health workers and midwives and vaccinations
Of the 6.9 million children under the age of 5 who died in 2011, 4.4 million of them died of infectious diseases, nearly all of which were preventable. Leading causes of death in under-five children are pneumonia, preterm birth complications, diarrhoea, birth asphyxia (when a baby is deprived of oxygen at birth and needs to be resuscitated) and malaria. About one third of all child deaths are linked to malnutrition. Other includes sepsis (infection of the blood), tetanus, congenital abnormalities (could for example have problems with the heart)
Midwives Every year 48 million women give birth without someone present who has recognised midwifery skills. More than 2 million women give birth completely alone, without even a friend or relative to help them. **According to the WHO there should be one midwife for every 175 pregnant women**There is a global shortage of 350,000 midwives and many women and babies die from complications that could easily be prevented by having a midwife present. Some traditional birth attendants use practices that can be harmful to mothers and baby e.g. sitting on a woman’s belly to force the baby out or using herbs to treat infections rather than seeking medical help. Health workersWorldwide shortage of 3.5 million healthcare workers. Health workers are essential for diagnosing illnesses and dispensing treatment. Millions of health workers need to be better trained. They also need to be deployed in the right places – in remote villages where the poorest and most vulnerable people live with no access to health facilities. Why aren’t there more health workers?Health workers are often poorly paid and the shortage of staff means that those who are working will have a high caseload. Health workers migrate to richer countries where they will be better paid and better supported. Many countries lack educational facilities and educators to train enough health workers to cover the whole population.Chronic underinvestment in human resources – many governments in poorer countries have failed to dedicate enough of their own resources to health budgets and health workers.Vaccinations1 in 5 children are missing out on vaccinations
Building 6 clinics in Liberia – 3 types – prenatal, sexual health and general GP. Liberia:- Only 37% births currently take place in a health facility. - Women face a one in 10 chance of dying during pregnancy or childbirth.- 70% of women walk for more than one hour to reach the nearest clinic.The clinics will ensure that:Newborn babies receive the care they need to survive the perilous first weeks of life.Pregnant women will be able to give birth in a safe and clean environment with professional help.Under-fives can visit a health professional when they get ill, ensuring easily treatable diseases such as diarrhoea are no longer a death sentence.Adolescents will benefit from family planning support and reproductive health services.Cost examples£3 mosquito net £15 could treat 1 child with antibiotics£15 could train a community health worker
The photo is of a 5 year old girl playing in a well that we built in Ethiopia. WASH- One of the highest priorities in emergencies. Without sufficient water and sanitation the lives of children and their families are seriously at risk. Children’s weaker immune systems mean they are often the most vulnerable to waterborne diseases.During our response we distribute hygiene kits, such as buckets and jerry cans (for storing water), soap (so people can keep clean), chlorine tablets (for people to purify their water at home); we rebuild water sources such as wells; and we construct latrines in communities, schools and health centres.
There are 3 water ambulances in Habiganj, Bangladesh and they are used as satellite clinics for pregnant women. Paramedics will travel on the ambulances to areas in Bangladesh surrounded by water and will either disembark to perform check ups in the home or pregnant women will come on board and will deliver their babies in a clean and safe environment with the help of a healthcare professional. If the women are having trouble with their deliveries/ experiencing complications the ambulances will be used to transport the women from their homes to the nearest hospital. The ambulances are the only means to ensure women in these villages receive healthcare during and after pregnancy. Will also treat people suffering from ailments such as fever or pneumonia. The boat is fitted with beds, a toilet, sink and a water filter. 3 paramedics on board and one health professional.Clinics receive 200 patients a day.
The story of child survival over the past two decades is one of significant progress and unfinished business. There has been a huge reduction in child mortality rates but 6.9 million child deaths every year is still too many, especially when a large majority of these deaths can be prevented. Between 1990 and 2011, nine low-income countries — Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Nepal, Niger and Rwanda — reduced their under-five mortality rate by 60% or more. While there are 14,000 fewer children dying every day in 2011 than in 1990, there are still 19,000 child deaths (children under the age of 5) every day in 2011.
UMI3.5 lbs. When she was admitted to our feeding centre in Kenya, she was malnourished, dehydrated and suffering from pneumonia. She is an example of a child on the brink of death who we were able to save. She was treated with antibiotics and was given a high nutrient peanut paste to help her gain weight. She has become a poster child for STC. She was once an iconic image of hunger and drought, but she is now a healthy plump 15 month old baby learning to walk. Her story is inspirational but it is not a one off case, 89% of children admitted to our feeding centres make a full recovery.Plumpy Nut Each sachet contains 500 calories and is packed with energy. It is made of peanut paste, vegetable oil,powdered milk, sugar, vitamins and minerals (vitaminsA, B, C, D, E and K, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, sodium and selenium).A severely malnourished child needs just 3 sachets a day for just 4-6 weeks to bring them back up to full health.StuntingA manifestation of malnutrition and is a result of a child having a poor diet- it affects at least 170 million children. Stunting affects children’s physical growth as well as their cognitive development. Adults affected by malnutrition earn up to 20% less than their non affected counterparts.
Cash transfersProviding poor families with cash shields them from the most devastating effects of long-term poverty and of economic shocks, such as fluctuating food prices. Cash transfers increase food expenditure and increase dietary diversity.Gives people dignity and puts money back into the economy.Breast feeding As well as reducing stunting, optimal breastfeeding could save 95 babies every hour- move than any other preventative intervention.Breast milk is a superfood. In the first hours and days of her baby’s life the mother produces milk called colostrum, the most potent natural immune system booster known to science.Breastfeeding has a strong impact on both reducing malnutrition and protecting children in their first 28 days and beyond. It’s not that mums in poor countries don’t want to breastfeed. It’s just that many of them simply don’t know it protects their babies. Like mums in the UK, they get conflicting messages about breastfeeding. Or they have no control over whether they breastfeed. Or no one is there to help them.
Out of school childrenThere are many children around the world who are not able to go to school: they may live in a country affected by conflict where the schools have been destroyed, or they may come from a poverty stricken family where they have to provide an income to help their family to survive. We do a lot of education work in conflict affected countries. Conflict affected states account for 42% of the world’s out of school children. For children who do go to school in conflict contexts, the quality of education is usually very poor. Consequently, school is not always an attractive option for parents and students, leading to high drop-out rates. GirlsIn some developing countries girls face discrimination and are not allowed to go to school. Families prefer to send their male counterparts to school and keep their girls at home.Children in school but not learning adequatelyIt is estimated that 1 child in 3 in developing countries struggles to read basic words.Teachers need better training and the right qualifications to be able to teach the national curriculum. Risks for children out of schoolChildren out of school are at risk of being sexually abused, abducted, trafficked, forced to work in armed groups, forced to get married early, forced into child labour.
Temporary schools/ Child Friendly Spaces – in emergency settingsChildren should be able to carry on with learning in an emergency. We set up child friendly spaces to ensure that children’s education is not disrupted. Schools are a place to deliver life saving interventions such as food (many children receive their one and only meal at school), water (schools provide clean drinking water), sanitation (distribution of soap, buckets, toilet roll) and health services (vaccinations and cholera prevention programmes). Teachers can communicate messages about safety, health (HIV protection) and hygiene (the importance of hand washing). DRR (Disaster Risk Reduction) – children can learn about landmine risks, practising what to do in an earthquake and teaching children in flood-prone areas how to swim. We set up and train child protection focal points in schools – ensuring there is a teacher or adult on hand to provide support and refer vulnerable children.Getting girls into educationEducating communities on the importance of sending children to school Separate latrines for girls and boys An education worth havingSignature Programme in RwandaWe are helping children develop their reading skills. We are providing pre-school children with their own set of books and our voluntary educators will help parents gain the knowledge and confidence necessary to stimulate their children’s literacy skills. (Training teachers)We will ensure teachers have the knowledge and skills to teach reading effectively and we will provide high quality local language children’s books to help stimulate a love for reading.We are working with local publishers to produce better books for our programme – ensuring there’s a ready supply of great books for Rwanda’s schools and communities. Rehabilitating schools that have been damaged or looted during conflictProviding school kits School bags filled with books, pens and other stationary itemsPunishment in schools Making sure teachers aren’t punishing pupils too harshly
Camel libraries Provide education to nomadic and pastoralist communities – in Ethiopia.School transportProviding school buses in MozambiqueGetting poor children into schoolPaying school fees in South SudanAccelerated Learning Programmes In Angola - for young mothers to attend school (aged 14-17) They bring their babies to school and are allowed to leave the class with the baby if necessary. Without these classes these young women would never have access to basic education. Skills trainingSomalia we help young people with no schooling find employment through skills training (electricians etc.)SUCCESS: WE HAVE GOT 6 MILLION CHILDREN BACK INTO SCHOOL
I have put the image and copy together for the country examples so we can put the slides straight into the prezi.
Raveena from Nepal finds a way to mourn her father's passing with Save the Children’s HEART programme.Following the death of her father, Raveena became withdrawn and forlorn. She stopped interacting with the other children and she stopped participating in singing and dancing. Nobody knew how deeply Raveena had been affected by her father’s death and because she wouldn’t talk about it her family didn’t know how to help her. Through the HEART programme Raveena began to draw pictures of her mother crying and pictures of her father’s body being cremated. Raveena is the youngest of 11 children and her mother didn’t realise that she had understood the significance of her father’s death.Without Raveena’s drawings, our Save the Children worker would never have been able to understand what was happening to Raveena.It helped her understand Raveena better and how to help her. From then on, she just let her draw. I did not force her to participate in other activities of the centre. She would even ask for crayons and papers to take back home.Our worker encouragedRaveena to tell stories about what she had drawn and eventually she stopped drawing about her father’s death. She now draws pictures of her friends and siblings, smiling and happy. She now participates in singing and dancing again and is doing well at school. The programme has helped her to recover.
For millions of children,abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence takes place on a daily basis – at home, in school, at work and in the community. Children are particularly vulnerable during armed conflict and in the aftermath of disasters – they often become separated from their families.The full scale of violence and abuse of children is unknown, as much of it goes unreported. The figures on the slide give an indication of the enormous magnitude of the situation.In our new report Unspeakable Crimes Against Children, we have collated figures and testimonies from a range of countries affected by conflict over the past decade. The report highlights the fact that rape and sexual assault are shockingly common during war. (The majority of victims of these attacks are children – sometimes as many as 80%.)In many conflicts, the rape of children is used by armed forces to terrorise communities, destroy opposition and humiliate enemies – now common in Syria and in the DRC.Many children who survive are too traumatised, injured and terrified to speak out. Both girls and boys are often reluctant to report the crime, because of the social stigma and fear of retribution.Prosecutions for assaults on children during conflict are rare, leaving perpetrators free to attack girls and boys with little fear of punishment. For the thousands of children who survive violent attacks, the key priority is to try to recover from the trauma.
There are measures that we can take to protect children from violence:Justice systems can be strengthened to ensure that perpetrators of attacks on children are held to account.2. Children can be protected in schools, and provided with safe places to gather and play.3.Community groups can be given support and training to help keep children safe. 4.Security forces, including peacekeepers, can be trained in child protection. 5.Refugee and displacement camps can be designed to reduce the risk of children being attacked, through measures such as better lighting, and safe access to toilets, food and fuel. Progress:Since 1998, over 100,000 children formally associated with armed forces and groups have been released and received support for their reintegration into their families and communities.From 2004 and 2008, the global number of children in hazardous work declines by 13 million.What SAVE is doing:Child Friendly Spaces They protect children both physically and psychologically during an emergency. They offer protection against exploitation and harm, and create a sense of normality and routine which is crucial to the healing process following distressing experiences. They are a place to deliver life saving interventions such as food (many children receive their one and only meal at school), water (schools provide clean drinking water), sanitation (separate male and female toilets, distribution of soap, buckets, toilet roll) and health services (vaccinations and cholera prevention programmes). Examples:1. We support children who have suffered sexual abuseIn DRC we’ve set up ‘listening posts’ where boys and girls can confidentially report sexual assaults. In Colombia we’ve set up child-friendly drop-in centres where children can access emotional support.2. We help children to protect themselves In Africa and the Middle East we’re providing life skills training and livelihood support to help children protect themselves from violence and exploitation. In the Middle East, children’s groups are sharing crucial education about sexual health.3. We change attitudes and behavioursIn Nepal, our children’s clubs are challenging negative attitudes towards women. In Cote D’Ivoire, children have contributed to a national awareness campaign about sexual violence including calendars, theatre competitions, and radio and TV coverage.4. We reform laws and institutionsIn Sierra Leone, we’re ensuring laws are in place to protect children and hold criminals to account. In west and central Africa we’re making child protection part of police training programmes.G8This year, UK foreign secretary William Hague has committed to prioritising the issue of sexual violence in conflict at the G8 foreign minsters’ meeting. SUCCESS: IN 2012 WE KEPT 380,000 CHILDREN SAFE FROM HARM AND ABUSE
Jibu was 5 years old when he became separated from his family when a militia group attacked their village in the DRC. Jibu’s father Safari was not able to find him during the attack. Jibu was lucky, unlike many children who became separated from their parents and recruited into armed groups, Jibu was taken care of by a woman who became his foster mother. STC were able to reunite Jibu with his father. They had been separated for 2 years.“The father and the son couldn’t take their eyes off each other, the only words that came out of the father’s mouth were “Jibu, my little boy, welcome home.”
Child poverty is predicted to rise by 400,000 by 2015.We are aiming to lift the country’s most disadvantaged children out of poverty by:Improving educational outcomesMaking work a route out of povertyHelping families through the toughest timesEducation can be a ticket out of poverty. Our partnership with Families and Schools Together (FAST) bolsters children’s chances of succeeding at school. We’re helping create a supportive home environment that builds children’s confidence. Working in schools in disadvantaged areas, our programme runs sessions for parents on listening to, understanding and communicating with their child.5% improvement in children’s academic competence – including reading, writing and maths24% reduction in children’s behaviour problems at school53% average increase in parents’ involvement in school15% reduction in behaviour difficulties at home
Our crisis grant programme, Eat, Sleep, Learn, Play! (ESLP!) supports young children in the most desperate need, directly providing them with household essentials such as a child’s bed.As the cost of basic essentials rises, welfare support for vulnerable families with young children (such as the Sure Start Maternity Grant) has been severely cut so many are struggling to make ends meet.
What happens if a family is not eligible? We have decided to target families on a low income with a child under the age of 3 because after extensive research we found that this is the group that requires the most help. There are other schemes set up by other charities/ government bodies that help families with older children for example. If a family contacted us and they didn’t meet the criteria we would not just simply turn them away, we would refer them to another charity/ organisation that could help them.
Helen (51) has been the main carer for her granddaughter Olivia (3) since her mum died (when Olivia was 18 months old). Helen who lives in Scotland had to give up her job to take care of her granddaughter. Olivia had been sharing a bed with her grandmother. Save the Children provided this family with a bed and bedding so that Olivia could have her own bed to sleep in.
BORN TO READ: We operate in areas of deprivation, prioritising schools where at least half of the children receive free school meals. Volunteer reading helpers are paired with up to three children, giving each child one-to-one support twice a week for a year. The sessions are held in primary schools, but outside the classroom, away from peer pressure and we provide books and games to help the child readBy placing trained volunteer reading helpers into primary schools, we will help create a nation of confident children who can read, grow and lead successful lives.We also train parents and adults in the community to better help their children to read. 20% of children leave school unable to read or write to the required standard. Poor readers as adults are then much less likely to be in employment; and if they are employed it is likely to be low-paid.Last year 96% of the children supported showed an improvement in overall reading achievement. Coming soon…UK Emergency response programme
Joined forces with 200 other charities to launch a major new campaign to tackle global hunger. We want action from global leaders to end the hunger crisis that costs the lives of 260 children every single hour.The G8 this year has put global hunger on the agenda. We are urging world leaders to tackle the four big IFs:IF we give the poorest people the power to feed themselvesIF we stop corporate tax dodgingIF we use land for food not fuelIF we force governments to be honest about activity that stop children getting enough food (DELIVER ON AID BUDGET 0.7% COMMITMENT FROM UK GOV, AND NOT DODGE TAXES)
