Make Your Mark

Over 250,000 people have ‘made their mark’ to help save millions of children’s lives.

This summer over 100,000 people in the UK and 150,000 people across Africa gave us their thumbprint as a symbol of support for the world’s poorest children. By doing this they helped to create a powerful symbol politicians can’t ignore.

We showcased the thumbprints at events at the Labour Party Conference and Conservative Party Conference. This film of the summer activity inspired several MPs to make their mark too.

UK Activity

Since the end of May, over 100,000 people have given us their thumbprints at festivals and various community events across the country. Including:

20,000 thumbprints at Glastonbury
21,000 thumbprints at Bristol Balloon Fiesta
22,500 thumbprints at Bestival

See more pictures of the summer activity

K T Tunstall (pictured left) said:

“I chose to make my mark for clean water. Every child should have access to clean water; it’s a basic human right”.

Loads of celebrities also made their mark this summer, including TV personalities Carol Vorderman and Andrew Marr, and Florence, from Florence and the Machine.

Watch the celebs making their mark at Glastonbury

Global Activity

On 16 June, the Day of the African child, over 150,000 children, parents, teachers, students, MPs and Presidents joined our biggest-ever global campaign to stop children dying from easily preventable diseases. See some of them in the pictures below.

Children from Witsieshoek primary school in Qwa Qwa, South Africa showing their support for the campaign.

Palesa, 13, part of the same class in Qwa Qwa, South Africa also makes her mark. She says communities should start vegetable gardens and food schemes at school, such as soup kitchens, with the support of the municipality and the government to make things better for children in South Africa.

Twins Nthabeleng and Nthabiseng, aged nine, in Qwa Qwa, South Africa, show their thumb prints, having already made their mark.

Lesedi, six, one of the youngest members of the class in in Qwa Qwa, South Africa.

Musu marches with hundreds of other children in Freetown, Sierra Leone asking the government to pay for doctors and nurses.

"Making my mark today is for remembering our friends who died," said Musu. "There are sick people in my community, sick from diseases like malaria. There is no clean drinking water. This needs to change."

"Making my mark today means being part of the Day of the African child," said Foday, 15, who joined Musu in making his mark in Sierra Leone. "I've heard the Minister’s speech and am telling him: 'Our water is poor. Please let us have pure water to drink. Tell the city council to clean our community so we can prevent sickness.'"

Mariama, 13, campaining with Foday and Musu in Sierra Leone said, "The biggest health problems in our county are typhoid and malaria. Making my mark today is about our rights, and being here empowers us to know our rights better."

Hundreds of children took part in a parade through the streets of Abuja, Nigeria to take their messages to the coutry's First Lady.

The First Lady of Nigeria pledged her ongoing commitment to reducing the number of child deaths in her country on the Day of the African child.

It doesn’t stop there...

This summer was just the beginning. Thousands have already made their unique mark to show their support and make a difference. But we need to make sure we keep up the pressure.

We know that EVERY ONE of us - from you to your MP to the Prime Minister himself - has the power to have a positive impact on millions of children's lives.

We are asking EVERY ONE to do their bit.

Join us today. Ask your MP to support our call to maintain aid levels to the world's poorest countries, and give all children a fair chance.