Success stories from around the world

Fundraising heroes Girls in Charge Community spirit

In 2023, we helped 47 million children across the world get the medicine, good food and education they need.

In 2023, we supported the global movement in 49 countries. We provided technical expertise, funding, strategic and governance support, advocacy, programme management and humanitarian response work.

In 2023, we continued to support the Save the Children Movement in responding swiftly to crises worldwide. Our joint emergency response work aided communities in 55 countries, reaching 28 million people.

But...what about 2024?

Watch the video below to see what we achieved in 2024.

Want a way to create more good news... for free?

Want to read more inspiring stories?

Want to share those stories with your children?

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 montly 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 🏃🏻‍♀️

Back to the top

Girls in charge

Learn about the girls breaking down barriers in their communities.

Meet the girls sparking change

Tina and Maisie are learning welding at our training centre in South Sudan, and hope to start a business. Maisie’s family are very proud.

She makes furniture like beds and tables, which she can sell or give to her family, improving their lives.

As one of only two female welders in her community, shes become a role model. She hopes more young people will follow in her footsteps.

“It’s a source of pride for my whole family that I am one of only two welding girls in the community. Hopefully more will join next year.” - Maisie

See the girls in action

More powerful together

Saada* was just seven when she stopped a friend from undergoing FGM by warning her about the risks of infection, blood loss and childbirth. Her friend’s parents listened – and decided not to go ahead. She speaks out, even to adults, if it will help her friends and has never felt afraid in her life.

She attends a girls’ club in her hometown of Harar, which empowers girls and boys to talk openly about female issues, from child marriage and FGM to sanitation and menstruation. They put on plays about the FGM process.

“I am not alone. We fight this together – girls and boys. Together we’re more powerful.” - Saada

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.

Listen to more of Kim's story on Spotify

Back to the top

Saying no to I do

Standing up to child marriage

Since taking our peer leader training, Jasmin has gone on to empower girls in her village to stand up to child marriage. She’s made it her mission to teach the villagers how dangerous it can be.

Shumi is just one of countless children Jasmin has helped. Shumi discovered her parents planned to marry her to a man she’d never met. Shumi’s parents saw the marriage as a route to a secure future.

Jasmin convinced Shumi’s parents to let her complete her studies instead.

Now there’s nothing in the way of her ambitions.

Explore more of our work in Bangladesh

Back to the top

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.

Find out more about Ildephonses class

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

Back to the top

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!

Meskele, 16, attends a nearby school built by her community members in partnership with Save the Children.

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."