Do something for ONE child…and we’ll help millions

Last night we briefed some of our supporters about our Every One campaign. I then went home and talked to my friends about it. I was saying that we were focusing on individual children and individual cases to highlight the fact that it is not 9 million faceless children that die each year before the age of 5 from preventable causes – in each case it is one child (times 9 million). It sparked a mini debate about donating to charity and the feeling of immediacy and empowerment…

If you were walking along the river and saw a child drowning you would do your very best to try and save them. When there is a child (or almost 9 million children) dying somewhere seemingly far away it is really difficult to comprehend such figures and to feel the need to act immediately. You feel less personally responsible; less like your actions (or money) will help. What can your £10 that you donate in England do to affect the life of a child far away?

My friend was put off by the feeling that their money is tied up in bureaucracy before it gets overseas. At Save the Children 85p per £1 donated goes to our programme work, which I think is pretty good. It costs money to make more money.

But it is still difficult to believe that giving a donation of £20 can change a life. They are not there in front of you. You just have to keep in your mind….If I was walking down the street…I would do something to save a child if I could….

It is that real. I just think the numbers of children who are dying don’t mean anything, it is the individual child. Save the Children is about every ONE child. You’ve got to do what you can.