Our history

New Zealand

Save the Children has been a part of New Zealand for over 60 years.

The first branch of Save the Children New Zealand was established in 1947 by Minnie Havelaar in North Canterbury. Branches were gradually established throughout the country until Save the Children became a national organisation in 1956.

Today, we have over 1,000 volunteers, 32 branches and a supporter base of over 50,000 New Zealanders who contribute towards funding Save the Children’s vital work.

In addition to the funds we raise for emergencies, Save the Children New Zealand currently supports programmes in New Zealand, the Pacific, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

International

Save the Children’s international founder was Eglantyne Jebb, an extraordinary woman who made a personal commitment to make positive change to her world. Based in London, and with her sister Dorothy Buxton, Eglantyne began Save the Children in 1919. Shocked by the aftermath of WWI and the Russian Revolution, Eglantyne and Dorothy were determined to improve children’s lives.

In 1923, Eglantyne also helped change the world’s attitudes towards children by writing the first Declaration of the Rights of the Child. This was later endorsed by the United Nations and became international law in 1990. It is now known as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

Today, Save the Children is truly global. We work collaboratively in over 120 countries around the world, foster partnerships with local organisations and provide training, funding and resources to build healthier and more successful communities where there are children in need.