Why
Save the Children?

Believe it or not, in 1919, when Eglantyne Jebb founded Save the Children, her conviction that children have the right to grow up healthy, educated and safe was not a mainstream idea. 

Much has changed since then. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, based on our founder’s declaration, is now the most universally accepted human rights treaty in history. And, through our work in the United States and around the world, we've changed the lives of over 1 billion children. 

We work in over 100 countries, doing whatever it takes — every day and in times of crisis — to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.

Thanks to our supporters, we achieve tremendous results for children. In 2022 alone, Save the Children programs and partners helped 118 million children in 116 countries become healthier, safer and better educated.

As the world's leading expert on childhood, we believe that every child deserves a future. This belief is at the heart of everything we do. We know you share it, too.

The scale of crisis in the world has increased exponentially in recent years. There are more children living in conflict and war zones now than at any time in the past 20 years, as well as more child refugees. Natural disasters are not only more frequent, but more severe. As always, children in crisis are among the most vulnerable. 

In particular, the more than 12 million refugee boys and girls now face a triple jeopardy. Not only have they lost their homes and lost their education, they now face the additional impact of COVID-19 on their futures.

As the world leader in protecting children from the physical and emotional wounds of war, Save the Children been a lifeline for families fleeing violence in Syria, Venezuela, Myanmar and dozens of other crises around the world.

And as the largest aid organization in Yemen, we helped 1.7 million children, supported 88 health facilities and 23 hospitals just last year.

A child’s right to an education does not end in times of emergency. That’s why we’re focused on return to education, helping more children in crisis recover and return to learning than any other global humanitarian organization.