International Save the Children Alliance
Above: Save the Children is one of the largest non-governmental organizations operating in Georgia. The ongoing conflict in the area has displaced thousands of children and families from their homes and villages. In addition to delivering relief supplies, we established Child-Friendly Spaces where children like Otinashvili, 3, (left), and Salome, 3 can be cared for, physically and psychologically.
Above: 'Sifa' (name changed) is 15 years old. During the conflict in DRC, she has experienced some of the worst situations that can confront a girl during war. She was abducted and sexually violated by combatants in an armed group, and now has a one-year-old son. She also fought as a soldier. Now, thanks to a child transit centre funded by Save the Children, she has been reunited with her parents.
Millions of children must fend for themselves or work to support their families, instead of focusing on learning and playing. UNICEF estimates that 2 million children are sexually exploited and 1.2 million children are trafficked every year.
Save the Children works to protect children around the world. Child protection concerns are at the heart of our global Rewrite the Future campaign, to secure quality education for children affected by armed conflict. Our emergency operations incorporate initiatives such as child-friendly spaces where children are free to play, enabling them to cope with trauma. We continue to be a pioneer in reuniting children separated from their families by natural disasters and armed conflict.
We lobby nationally and internationally to strengthen child protection laws, from preventing physical punishment to tackling sexual abuse. Our expertise is widely acknowledged - our lobbying caused the Council of Europe Convention on protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation to include a clause on identifying child victims of pornography. In 2007 we held a conference with UK children’s charity the NSPCC on protecting children across borders and contributed to other international conferences on online safety and sexual abuse.
