On this page, you can find a selection of success stories from around the world. Success stories that would not exist without you, our supporters.
Those success stories cover a variety of topics, feel free to click on what you are interested in the most from the options below:
Fundraising heroes
Bowls for Ukraine
In 2022, 13-year-old Gabriel from Cumbria raised over £250,000 for Ukrainian children, after thousands entered a raffle to win his handmade wooden bowl.
A year on he launched a second fundraiser coined 'The Hope Bowl' with proceeds going towards the Save the Children Emergency Fund after travelling to Poland to meet Ukrainian refugees benefitting from his initial donation.
The school Gabriel visited supports over 450 6-17 year old children from Ukraine. They continue studying the Ukrainian curriculum with some added polish lessons.
Set up a monthly donation and help us reach children in crisis fast.
Sienna was just 9 years old when she set herself the goal of running 1,000 miles to raise £5,000 for children in conflict.
On 8th April she’ll lace up for her one-thousandth mile and complete the challenge she set herself over two years ago
Sienna was inspired to raise money for children living in conflict after seeing her mum, who grew up in a war-torn country, tearing up watching a news article about children in Yemen and Syria.
She’s been running a mile a day since
Girls in charge
Learn about the girls breaking down barriers in their communities.
Za'atari Girl Power
Meet Shehab, a talented artist and aspiring fashion designer who was born with a disability and arrived at Zaatari Refugee Camp at just 4 years old, after fleeing the Syrian conflict. Despite loving school, severe bullying forced her to drop out, leaving her confidence shattered.
Everything changed when Shehab found the Adolescent Girls Empowerment Centre, opened by Save the Children in 2022.
With support from the centre, she made friends, rebuilt her confidence, and re-enrolled in school. Now, Shehab is passionate about helping other girls stay in education and dreams of becoming a human rights lawyer.
Vepaiamele, 15, takes part in a climate demonstration outside the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands.
Taking climate justice to the world stage
Cyclones, rising seas, and food shortages are part of daily life for Vepaiamele. But instead of staying silent, she’s speaking up—for her community and for children everywhere.
As a youth ambassador with Save the Children’s NextGen programme, Vepaiamele is heading to the International Court of Justice in The Hague to advocate for children’s rights in the climate crisis. “It’s our future,” she says. “And it’s kind of in jeopardy right now.”
Inspired by her activist grandmother and trailblazing mother, Vepaiamele leads ocean cleanups, writes poetry, and pushes for gender equality.
She’s proof that young voices can—and must—be heard.
Community spirit
Together we can fix it
Many people in Quiché, in Guatemala, depend on natural resources and farming for their livelihood. When two hurricanes hit almost back-to-back in 2020, it devastated the community.
But thanks to the support of amazing people like you, we were there when disaster struck. And we've stayed to help the community rebuild.
It’s time to take pride off the shelf
A lot can change in twelve months. When Kim attended her first Pride parade in 2018, only her mum knew about her sexuality. Now she's fighting back against South Africa's culture of homophobia and fear.
South Africa’s LGBTQ agenda might look progressive, but the reality is much starker. Homophobic attacks – including corrective rape - are common.
Kim learned about harmful gender norms at one of our youth clubs. She now runs her own workshops on beating outdated views on sex and gender.
In 2019, Kim attended her second Pride parade. This time she brought 30 of her friends with her.
Saying no to I do
Ria*, 16, getting ready for her cricket match in Saptari, Nepal. Save the Children and its local partner, Sabal Nepal, formed the first girls' cricket team to combat child marriage.
Standing up to child marriage
Since joining her local Child Club, Ria*, 16, has made it her mission to end child marriage in her community.
She started by performing street dramas and collecting data to raise awareness. Then she picked up a cricket bat—and helped change everything.
“When we hit the ball away with our bat,” says Ria, “we can hit away child marriage too.”
Ria’s activism helped shift attitudes in her village. Her ward is now officially child marriage-free, and her parents—once unsure—now proudly support her studies and her sport.
“I want to reach a level where I can push others forward,” she says. “What I’m doing now, they will be able to do in the future.”
Life skills
Learn how your support can help children learn new skills that will stay with them for life.
worlds best uncle
Ildephonse, an uncle and Reading Club leader, spends his evenings making his own toys and learning tools... from scratch. He even built an annex on to the side of his house so that the children in the village would always have somewhere to read.
Since undergoing our literacy champion training in Rwanda, Ildephonse has transformed lives, inspiring children and families to learn to read.
He encourages creativity in children any way he can. He uses rice bags and cardboard to create homemade TVs, phones, trucks and instruments to keep the village's children excited about learning.
Claudia Vessey / Save the Children
Banned but not broken
For a long time, sisters Parvana* and Hasina* were banned from going to school. Why? Because they're girls.
Their parents feared the girls would be harrassed or abducted on the two mile walk to school in Kabul, Afghanistan.
However, the 14 year olds were determined to get an education. They now attend the Save the Children community school, which is closer to home and run by female teachers.
The duo no longer feel hopeless watching their brothers get ready for school. Because six days a week they’re getting ready for the classroom too!
"I enjoy school, but I also enjoy it because we have fun with other girls." Parvana
Unlikely friendship
Learn how your support can help to bring children from all over the world together.
"My name is Apollo and I’m six years old and I live in London and I’m very worried that it’s not fair that we have everything we need and that children in Yemen don’t have anything.”
Despite his young age, Apollo has been proudly raising money and awareness for those affected by the conflict in Yemen.
Inspired by one of our campaigns, last year he sent a letter to Razan* - a girl injured in the conflict. They have since struck up an extraordinary pen-pal friendship, sharing letters with their thoughts and hobbies, favourite animals and family trips.
He's told her all about the concerts he organises in aid of our work in Yemen.
Apollo is now determined to tell the world what’s happening there. He's busy convincing others to join him in helping the children and families in danger, missing out on school and without food to eat.
A decade of impact
A recent study explored the long-term impacts of our partnership with kids and families in Woliso, Ethiopia to help realize their goals – and the results were AMAZING!
A decade after building new schools in Ethiopia, we returned to see the positive impact they've had on the local community. Working with local groups, our projects have meant children can receive an average of 4.5 years more education than before.
In the past, children would have to walk up to 10km to reach school. Fears of rape, abductions and harassment on the journey meant many received no education at all.
Boys would often not start school until they were about 10 years old, and girls, 13.
16-year-old Meskele is in the sixth grade at one of the schools we built in Woliso.
"For females it is necessary to continue their education because it helps them to learn good, it makes them literate, it assists them to get a job opportunity and then they can become professionals like doctors."
