CHILD SPONSORSHIP:

2018 YEAR IN REVIEW

 BRIGHTENING OUR
SHARED FUTURE
As we celebrate 100 years of pioneering work for children, Save the Children
continues to drive enduring change for girls and boys in the United States

Photo: Victoria Zegler

and around the globe. Without child sponsors like you, none of this would
be possible. Together, we’re ensuring kids can grow up healthy, learning
and safe – no matter who they are or where they’re born.
This report is a chronicle of the tremendous progress your child
sponsorship makes possible. It’s a testament to how much we can
achieve together. Above all, it’s a celebration of the power of
sponsorship to drive change that ripples throughout children’s MEET TEACHER PROVY
lives, their families and entire communities. We hope you
For children like 8-year-old Provy,* attending school isn’t a given … it’s
enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it.
a dream come true. Provy fled her home in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo with her mother when she was just 2. She was too young to
remember her father being killed by rebels in her homeland or her
pregnant mother’s death once they arrived at a refugee camp in Uganda.

INSIDE Today, Provy is one of four children living with her foster parents
in a temporary shelter made of mud and branches in a Ugandan
refugee settlement.
2  Brightening Our Shared Future At the sponsored early learning center she attends, Provy is one of
many children benefitting from our child-friendly spaces program – a life-
8  Reaching Every Last Child
changing child protection initiative for refugee children who’ve experienced
22 D
 riving Change for Children unimaginable violence, loss and trauma.
Maybe someday Provy will be at the front of the classroom, teaching
little ones how to overcome hardship and make their own dreams come true.

Looking for your

sponsorship country?
“In the Congo, we had big farms to grow maize
6, 20, 21 19
and beans. But the situation was not good at
Afghanistan Mexico
27 Bangladesh 25 Mozambique all because rebels were coming into our villages,
17, 27
6
Bhutan
Bolivia
8, 17
2, 17, 24
Myanmar
Nepal
day and night, and children could not go to
12,13, 21 Egypt 4, 15
22, 23
Niger school for fear they would be attacked.”
5, 18, 19, 27 El Salvador Philippines
5, 26 Ethiopia 3, 12, 23 Uganda – Foster mom of Provy
6, 19 Haiti 10, 11 United States
7 Indonesia 7, 16 Vietnam
15, 28 Malawi 7, 14 Zambia To watch sponsored kids’
1, 15 Mali stories come to life, just
click the red buttons!

CLICK ME

Watch Provy’s video and learn more about the tremendous

impact sponsors make for refugee children like her.

2  SAVE THE CHILDREN Photo: Victoria Zegler *Child’s name changed for protection SPONSORSHIP YEAR IN REVIEW 3
 BRIGHTENING OUR SHARED FUTURE

THE PATHWAY
TO SUCCESS
One Community
at a Time
With support from sponsors like you,
we forge local partnerships to provide

1 2 3
tools that empower entire communities
to better support their children’s health,
education, protection and growth.
Then we transition to new communities,

Photo: Save the Children in El Salvador

Photo: Save the Children in Ethiopia

so we can reach even more girls and
boys. This life-changing work takes
about 10 years from start to finish.
By changing the course of childrens'
lives now, we’re breaking the cycle of
poverty for generations to come.
Watch a video of how child
sponsorship works to transform
the lives of children and create
lasting change in the communities
where they live.
Photo: Save the Children in Nepal
CLICK ME
Photo: Save the Children in Niger
PHASE
HI, HOW CAN WE HELP?
• Partner with a community
• Identify children’s needs
• Develop an action plan
We know that Niger is one of the hardest places to be a child.
We also know that when vulnerable kids can go to school and
learn, they have a chance to not only survive but thrive. That’s
why we launched sponsorship in Niger in 2017 to protect the
girls and boys who need it most.
Ever wonder how we start a sponsorship program?
We started by rolling up our sleeves to build up our early
learners and successful students programs in 5 preschools and
40 primary schools. By 2018, we reached 13,728 children and
5,225 adults, including parents, government officials, teachers
and community leaders. This year, we plan to strengthen our
partnerships with local officials so we can launch our next
two programs – healthy girls and boys and empowered
teens – in 2019.   to continue our work.
PHASE
LET’S GET TO WORK…
• Provide community resources
• Train families, teachers & leaders
• Ensure programs are working for kids
Around the world, 15,000 children under age 5 die every
day from preventable causes such as pneumonia and malaria.
The good news is that we know what to do to save lives and,
with your help, we’re doing just that.
Take El Salvador. In 2018, we continued to collaborate
with community partners and provide lifesaving resources
to children and families. By providing nutritional kits and
education to families impacted by drought, we prevented
acute malnutrition in 275 children under 5. We also ensured
98.9% of children under 5 in our sponsorship area received
medical checkups at the health center. Next year, we’re
shooting for 100%!
PHASE
YOU’VE GOT THIS!
• Review results for children
• Empower locals for lasting success
• Transition to a new community
Ethiopia is a country facing extreme poverty, malnutrition
and insufficient resources for health services and education.
Even worse, girls and boys in Ethiopia are especially vulnera-
ble to child protection issues like harmful traditions, living
without family care and unsafe migration.
What changed? Now, more children than ever are
attending school, which means they have a better chance to
stay healthy and safe. As we look back at our 10 years in
the region, we’re proud to report that our programs have
reached more than 96,000 children in 200 primary schools,
151 early learning centers and 12 health facilities. Thanks to
sponsors, our communities have taken ownership over the
programs and it's time for us to move to a new community

4  SAVE THE CHILDREN SPONSORSHIP YEAR IN REVIEW 5

 BRIGHTENING OUR SHARED FUTURE
A FEW WAYS YOUR
YOUR SPONSORSHIP MADE 2018 GREAT FOR SO MANY KIDS GIFTS CHANGED LIVES:

9K
t e acher s
t r ained t o b e
mor e e f f ec t i v e
Photo: Save the Children in Afghanistan

15

Photo: Save the Children in Vietnam

Photo: Save the Children in Zambia
Photo: Save the Children in Bolivia

Photo: Save the Children in Haiti

ne w s chool s &
playg rounds buil t

Healthy Moms & Babies

With your help, we give mothers
and babies a healthy start in life. Like
Healthy Girls & Boys
Together, we’re ensuring kids stay
healthy to learn while learning to stay
Early Learners
We’re committed to building a solid
foundation for success for young girls
Successful Students
We know that learning today leads
to a better tomorrow. That’s why we’re
Empowered Teens
Sponsorship builds skills for a brighter
future in places like Vietnam, where
248K
children received
in Afghanistan, where neglected healthy. In Bolivia – a place where and boys in places like Dessalines, reaching more kids than ever through parents and young adults are using
v i s ion & he ar in g
children are susceptible to infections ongoing droughts continue to cause Haiti, where we’ve installed two brand our Literacy Boost programs around communication to work out their
from parasites, which can be fatal if severe water shortages – we do this new play areas designed to promote the world. Take Zambia, where we differences. Thanks to the 150 events
s cr eenin g s
left untreated. To make sure these girls by working in sponsored schools to early learning through play! More helped more than 1,000 students in 7 we sponsored last year to promote

67K
and boys have a chance to grow up install water recycling systems that than 500 kids have boosted their schools and 5 reading camps last year! family communication, more than 6,000
healthy, we administer deworming reuse handwashing water to flush motor and social skills through out- Together, we give kids the tools they parents and caregivers boosted their
treatments and distribute vitamin A toilets. Together, we make every drop door play activities because of this. need to build their reading skills, knowledge and ability to talk with their
supplements to thousands of kids, of water count. comprehension and confidence. teens about sensitive subjects like gender b ook s
both in and out of school. norms, early marriage and abuse.
di s t r ib u t ed
t o s up p or t
li t er ac y
8 % 3% YOUR SPONSORSHIP A creative way of showing thanks
from sponsored children in Indonesia.

12%
20 % GIFTS AT WORK
Healthy Moms and Babies
635 K
chil dr en
Healthy Girls and Boys de w or med

Photo: Save the Children in Mozambique

Photo: Save the Children in Indonesia
Early Learners

38 % 19% Successful Students

Empowered Teens
6K
a dole s cen t s
 hild Protection, Livelihoods and
C given li f e s k ill s
other life-changing programs for kids t r ainin g

6  SAVE THE CHILDREN SPONSORSHIP YEAR IN REVIEW 7

 United States
Afghanistan
Nepal Bhutan

REACHING EVERY
Egypt
Mexico Bangladesh Vietnam
Haiti Mali Myanmar
Niger
El Salvador

LAST CHILD
Philippines
Ethiopia
Uganda
Indonesia
Malawi
Every child deserves a chance Bolivia Zambia
to succeed, even in the farthest
Mozambique
away places.

With your help, we reached more

than 2.5 MILLION CHILDREN
in 2018. That’s 2,537,803 children
across 21 COUNTRIES living
better lives BECAUSE OF YOU.

Photo: Save the Children in Myanmar

8  SAVE THE CHILDREN SPONSORSHIP YEAR IN REVIEW 9
 REACHING EVERY
LAST CHILD

UNITED
STATES

Photo: Save the Children U.S. Programs

40K

Photo: Presley Ann

Breyanna celebrates International Day of the Girl with her parents and CEO of Save the Children
Thanks to sponsors like you, 28% Carolyn Miles.

CHIL DR E N
more children are reading at or

MEET JUSTICE BREYANNA

above grade level!

R E A CHE D Breyanna isn’t writing her own legal judgements … yet. But, as her
letter below shows, she has quite a way with words. When she joined
us in Los Angeles, CA to celebrate International Day of the Girl,
Breyanna helped us raise awareness and highlight the importance of
making sure girls have a strong start in life, so they can grow up to
be whatever they want to be.
Now a fifth-grader, Breyanna has participated in Save the Children’s
afterschool literacy programs and SummerBoost camp for five years.
Imagine the Honorable Judge Breyanna sitting on the bench someday –
living proof that girls everywhere can write their own future.

Photo: Save the Children U.S. Programs

In 2018, we piloted our new math
program which helps develop early
numeracy skills in young children
as well as strengthen their under-
standing of math and accelerate
their achievement. This daily
program includes hands-on
activities and visuals so children
can learn in a more interactive
way. We are excited to share
results with you in the future.

10  SAVE THE CHILDREN Photo: Save the Children U.S. Programs SPONSORSHIP YEAR IN REVIEW 11
 REACHING E VERY
LAST CHILD
REFUGEE
SPONSORSHIP
28K
CHIL DR E N
R E A CHE D
How You Can Help
With over 1 million refugees,
Uganda is now the largest refugee-
hosting nation in Africa. Syrians
like Aseel* (pictured far right) and
her family make up 62% of refugees
in Egypt … sadly, almost half of
them are children.
We’re committed to giving
refugee children like Provy and
Aseel the childhood they deserve …
but we need your support. Use
the code below to learn how you
can become a refugee sponsor.
Click here to learn more
about how you can help Provy
and other refugee children.
CLICK ME
*Child’s name changed for protection
12  SAVE THE CHILDREN
Because every
child, everywhere,
deserves a future.
Early learners are making exciting
progress in our brand new refugee
sponsorship programs in Uganda!
Now that more sponsored early
learning centers are equipped with
print-rich classrooms and enhanced
Photo: Victoria Zegler
play-based learning, the number
of children moving up to primary
school rose from 34% in 2017 to
74% last year.  
MEET POET ASEEL
There was nothing poetic about it. Just an hour after her family fled in
terror from nearing air strikes, bombs destroyed not only their house
but their entire neighborhood. Homeless, 4-year-old Aseel and her
family traveled from Syria to Lebanon and then to Egypt.
Today, Aseel is a fifth-grader at a sponsored school in Cairo where
she studies alongside fellow Syrian refugee children. She enjoys drawing
Photo: Fredrik Lerneryd
and gymnastics, but especially writing poetry. “The change in Aseel is
apparent,” her mother says. “Now she loves to talk … she’s always
questioning everything!”
Who knows, maybe one day Aseel will be a published poet, confidently
reciting her work and inspiring shy, quiet children like she once was!
Through our health outreach
programs in refugee communities
in Egypt, we’re doing all we can Syria, my country,
to keep vulnerable girls and boys don’t think that I forgot you
healthy and safe. In 2018, we made
a lifesaving difference by providing
because you are inside me.
first aid kits, vision screenings and I miss you so much.
health education for 815 refugee
I miss your aroma, your sand.
and asylum-seeking children.
You will be forever in my heart.
My country, wait for me.
– Poem by Aseel, sponsored refugee child in Egypt
Watch this video to see a heartfelt
Our sponsors are helping reading of Aseel’s extraordinary
refugee children like Provy
get the support they need
poetry … by the author herself!
to learn and thrive in their
new home. CLICK ME
Photo: Victoria Zegler SPONSORSHIP YEAR IN REVIEW 13
 REACHING EVERY
LAST CHILD

AFRICA

Photo: Save the Children in Malawi

In Malawi, girls often skip school or
perform poorly because they lack the
supplies they need to manage their
monthly periods. We’ve increased the

Photo: Victoria Zegler

number of schools offering modified
girls’ bathrooms and sanitary pads
because we’re committed to giving
every girl what she deserves – a fair
chance to succeed in school. 

MEET AUTHOR AWA

Sponsorship is helping Awa write a different future for herself. Awa
lives in Mali and has benefitted from sponsorship programs since they
were introduced in her community four years ago. According to her
mom, sponsorship has made all the difference for Awa, who once
struggled with writing. “She’s now engaged. Her attitude towards school
has completely changed.” And she has a new favorite subject: reading!
Awa’s excited about being able to read letters from her sponsor and

Photo: Save the Children in Niger

write letters back. “I enjoy writing to my sponsor,” she explains. “I like
to write about my village.”
Awa participates in Save the Children’s Literacy Boost reading camp

676K
Our sponsorship programs in Niger
have hit the ground running to
promote healthy hygiene practices
for kids. We’ve already built 25
CHIL DR E N school bathrooms and supplied 40
schools with soap for handwashing
R E A CHE D
stations. We also distributed
mosquito nets to keep kids safe from
malaria, the leading cause of death
among children in Africa.
at her school. This innovative approach helps kids learn early literacy
skills in fun and creative ways. Sounding out words, drawing and playing
games with letters are Awa’s favorite reading camp activities. She also
likes reading stories to her friends.
When Awa becomes an author one day, maybe she’ll include her
sponsor in one of her stories!
“I know that going to school is very
important because it allows me to gain
knowledge that I can share with others.
If I work hard, I can have something in
the future. It can open doors for me.”
– Awa, sponsored child in Mali

14  SAVE THE CHILDREN Photo: Save the Children in Zambia SPONSORSHIP YEAR IN REVIEW 15
 REACHING EVERY
LAST CHILD

ASIA

Photo: Victoria Zegler

Issufo stands proudly in front of his class
as he solves a problem on the board.

We collaborated with community

partners in Myanmar to celebrate
Global Handwashing Day. New
sanitation facilities were unveiled at 12

Photo: Victoria Zegler

early learning centers while themed
events in 14 villages highlighted the
importance of hand hygiene for kids,
families and communities.

MEET SOCIAL WORKER SONU

Sonu’s society is changing. In the small Nepali village where she lives,
it’s long been customary for girls to attend school only until 7th grade.
This allows them to grasp only a basic education before finding a
husband. In Sonu’s community, parents are afraid that if girls become
educated, they won’t be obedient or want to get married.
Sonu is in 11th grade and hopes to be allowed to complete her

Photo: Save the Children in Bhutan

final year of secondary school and then continue her education.
“I’d like to become a social worker,” she says. She’s taking the first

968 K
steps toward that dream by serving as a facilitator in the Choices,
Voices and Promises program at her school.
Choices, Voices and Promises works to debunk local gender norms
and encourage dialogue within families and communities. Although her
parents were hesitant at first, they agreed to participate with Sonu.
In Bhutan, one in three children Sonu has already seen the difference. The fact that her 19-year-
age 2-9 lives with at least one old brother now helps with the laundry and dishwashing proves that

CHIL DR E N
disability. That’s why we provided the younger generation is getting the message and leading the way
hearing and visual assistance for change. This change in mindset is huge!
devices to more than 500 sponsored As a social worker, Sonu may one day help families like hers

R E A CHE D children with impairments last embrace changes that give girls a say in their own future.
year. We’re also working with .
government partners to create a
national strategy to protect the
“I want to spread awareness to help
rights of children with disabilities. girls like me pursue their dreams.”
– Sonu, sponsored child in Nepal

16  SAVE THE CHILDREN Photo: Save the Children in Bangladesh SPONSORSHIP YEAR IN REVIEW 17
 REACHING EVERY
LAST CHILD

LATIN AMERICA
& THE CARIBBEAN

Photo: Caroline Trutmann Marconi

Issufo stands proudly in front of his class
as he solves a problem on the board.

Photo: Victoria Zegler

To make sure girls and boys have
quality learning spaces in sponsored
schools in Yucatán, Mexico, we built
26 reading libraries. We also stocked
them with books on topics like
children´s rights, livelihoods and the MEET ARTIST ANDERSON
environment. ¡ Feliz lectura (happy
It’s dangerous to be a child in 11-year-old Anderson’s rural community
reading)!
in El Savador … so dangerous, in fact, that thousands of kids drop out
of school every year due to violence. Anderson’s school is located smack
in the middle of rival gang territories, and it’s among the most violent
in El Salvador.
Today, Anderson’s school has made incredible strides in creating a
safe and engaging environment for children to learn. To help with these
efforts, we joined forces with local community and government partners
to position security personnel outside of the school to protect students.
With sponsored afterschool activities in place, kids like Anderson can
explore art, music and science without worrying about being safe.
Through sponsorship, Anderson has learned that he’s capable of

Photo: Save the Children in Haiti

achieving more than he realized. Anderson hopes to become a famous

256K
painter one day, creating bold and beautiful expressions of his
childhood hopes and dreams.
.
“If I could give one piece of advice to
We’re working in Haiti to make every child, it would be to keep working
it easier for teens, especially those hard because you can accomplish
CHIL DR E N
in remote villages, to access sexual
and reproductive health information everything you want. Don’t give up!”
and services. We reached more
– Anderson, sponsored child in El Salvador

R E A CHE D
than 1,700 young people last year
through mobile clinics and saw a
34% jump over 2017 in the number
Watch Anderson’s video to see how child
of adolescents taking advantage of
sponsors like you are helping kids create
the sexual health services available
art … along with a whole new future!
to them.
CLICK ME

18 SAVE THE CHILDREN SPONSORSHIP YEAR IN REVIEW 19

Photo: Victoria Zegler
 REACHING EVERY
LAST CHILD

MIDDLE EAST
& EURASIA

Photo: Save the Children in Egypt

Issufo stands proudly in front of his class
as he solves a problem on the board.

Last year in our empowered teen

programs in Egypt, 507 young
entrepreneurs were born! When

Photo: Save the Children in Egypt

adolescents learn money manage-
ment skills and have access to
microloans, they can innovate to
create small businesses that can help
contribute to their family’s income. 

MEET DOCTOR AMANY

598K
Amany may live in a small community, but she has big dreams.
She hopes to become a doctor when she grows up so she can help
people, and she’s taking her first steps toward that goal by doing
her best in school.
Because 14-year-old Amany has special needs, she faced many

Photo: Save the Children in Afghanistan

challenges during her first year at school. Her peers made fun of
her and excluded her from activities. Her teachers, like most in her

CHIL DR E N community in Egypt, had never been trained to help students with
disabilities. Sadly, Amany failed her first year.

R E A CHE D
Then we introduced inclusive education at Amany’s school. We
trained Amany’s teachers on how to improve the learning environment
and help children cope with and report cases of bullying. What a
difference it made for Amany and her peers!
Young people in Afghanistan
When Amany earns her M.D., perhaps some of her former classmates
are gaining awareness of their
and their families will be her patients, and they’ll be grateful she was
rights and responsibilities through
empowered to fulfill her dream.
disaster risk reduction training. 
They’re also spreading the word
about what families and communities “When her classmates started to treat her
can do to protect children from better, I was very relieved. Amany wants
risks like early marriage, physical
punishment and unsafe commutes to be a doctor, and I will do everything
to school, especially for girls. I can to help her achieve her dream.”
– Father of sponsored child Amany in Egypt

16 20 SAVE THE CHILDREN Photo: Save the Children in Afghanistan SPONSORSHIP YEAR IN REVIEW 21
 INNOVATING FOR IMPACT
TOUGH CHALLENGES? NOT A PROBLEM.
WE THINK ON OUR FEET.
In Uganda, children with disabilities and special
needs are at risk of being denied an education. These
students are more likely to drop out because they
lack access to the equipment and training that give
kids with special needs a fair chance to succeed.
Teachers in most schools in Uganda also have limited
knowledge of how to work with girls and boys with
special needs.
Here’s where you come in.
Because of you, we've rolled out a groundbreaking
inclusive education initiative to train teachers in 21 schools
to ensure that all children have equal access to a quality
education in a safe and welcoming learning environment.
Together, we’ve already made incredible strides by
reaching more than 6,500 children in our first year!
Next up?
With your help, we're making sure we can reach even
more children with special needs by adding 60 more
schools to our program in 2019.
DRIVING
CHANGE FOR
CHILDREN
Our best-in-class solutions
put kids first.
Thanks to our inclusive education initiatives
Sponsors like you are helping ensure that in Uganda, Fred (center), who suffers from
all children -- including girls -- have the speech challenges, is beating the odds to
opportunity to learn in the Philippines. become a lawyer in the future.
22 SAVE THE CHILDREN Photo: Save the Children in the Philippines
TIME FOR CHANGE? WE’RE ON IT.
AND WE’RE STARTING EARLY.
Young children are confronted by many gender stereo-
types … not just in their communities but also in school.
These biases hinder young kids’ experience in school,
limiting their engagement in activities and learning. They
also create the foundations for gender discrimination
and inequality inside and outside the classroom.
Here’s where you come in.
Your support allows us to work with early childhood
teachers in the Philippines so young girls and boys
can have a more equal learning experience right from
the start. How? We’re piloting a Gender Equality Toolkit
to train early childhood teachers to reflect on their own
biases related to gender and understand the impact these
biases can have on children’s learning and perspectives.
Next up?
With sponsors like you by our side, we’ll continue to
make sure more teachers have the strategies they need
to enable all children to reach their highest potential
and establish equal rights, regardless of gender.
Photo: Save the Children in Uganda
SPONSORSHIP YEAR IN REVIEW 23
 MEET COLLEGE GRADUATE MEET TEACHER DANY
DRIVING CHANGE
FOR CHILDREN

TAMALIKA
Tamalika wants to do something no one in her
“The friendship we
family has done before … earn a college degree. established still
In a place where girls are often forced into
marriage at an early age and deprived of an educa-
influences me today
tion, 20-year-old Tamalika from Nepal is forging her because it was my
own path to success. Through sponsorship, Tamalika
learned how empowering an education can be and
sponsor who gave me
was able to stay in school to pursue her dream of the idea to continue
becoming a teacher. Now, Tamalika teaches in the my studies and one
same school she once attended and is on her way
to earning a college degree. day realize my
Tamalika is proud to be a role model for her childhood dream.”
students, showing them first-hand how a sponsored
child can succeed. She credits the letters she received – Dany, sponsorship graduate
from her sponsor for instilling faith in her abilities in Mozambique
to thrive in school and inspiring her to learn English
so she could write back. “I was 12 years old when
I began participating in sponsorship programs,”

Photo: Save the Children in Mozambique

Tamalika recalls. “Without sponsorship, I wouldn’t
have the confidence today to stand at the front of
the classroom and teach.”
Maybe once she graduates, Tamalika will show
her students her college diploma and inspire them
to reach for their dreams, too!

Watch Tamalika’s video

to hear her tell her own
sponsorship success story. Dany still remembers the day he met the Save the Children
You’ll be glad you did! Dany poses with
community mobilizers who came to his village when he was his mother and
a young boy. They encouraged his family to allow him to his cousin Sara.
CLICK ME
attend the primary school in his community and explore his
“I have not thought about aspirations of becoming a teacher himself one day. The rest,
as Dany puts it, is history.
marriage yet; I want to stand “I learned so much from sponsorship,” Dany recalls.

on my own two feet first.” “I studied reading, writing and math, but I also practiced
speaking Portuguese, which is different from the local

Photo: Save the Children in Mozambique

– Tamalika, sponsorship graduate in Nepal language I speak at home.”
Through sponsorship, Dany not only built connections
within his community, he also made a friend outside the
country – his sponsor Giovanni. "I remember receiving
letters from my sponsor asking me how I am and reminding
me to study," Dany explains.
Maybe one day Dany will inspire one of his students like
Giovanni, his sponsor, inspired him.

24 SAVE THE CHILDREN Photo: Victoria Zegler SPONSORSHIP YEAR IN REVIEW 25

 DRIVING CHANGE
FOR CHILDREN
MEET PHILANTHROPIST SACHA
Sacha may only be 11 years old, but he knows a thing or two
about “aha!” moments. He had several last fall while visiting
Chimdi, the boy his family sponsors in Ethiopia. Sacha’s dad
works at Save the Children’s headquarters, so when he learned
about an upcoming conference in Africa, he invited his father
and son to join him on the trip of a lifetime.
After exchanging letters with 10-year-old Chimdi for so
many years, Sacha wasn’t sure what to expect when they
finally met in person. Sacha knew his and Chimdi’s lives were
very different before his trip, but seeing Chimdi’s life up close
“I definitely felt inspired by how
was an eye-opening experience.
“Chimdi’s school is different than mine,” Sacha explains.
“We only have about 25 kids in a class and he has at least 70.
Every classroom was made of wood or clay and there were
no windows or desks or binders. Since there aren’t many cars,
they all walk to school and it takes about 30 minutes.”
Sacha’s dad was happy to witness Chimdi’s teacher in
action too. “Sponsorship supports a lot of teacher training,
so for me, that's what matters most,” he says. “You can have
a nice building, but if the teaching isn't good, the kids aren't
learning. We’re committed to making sure teachers are doing
the very best they can.”
Sacha, we can’t wait to see what life lessons come next
for you as a world traveler and budding philanthropist!
26 SAVE THE CHILDREN
YOU HELP US MAKE
SPONSORSHIP FUN
FOR KIDS!
Our sponsorship teams around the world are
passionately committed to making sure our
sponsored childrens' comfort always comes first.
Check out a few of these cute and creative ways
we are making sponsorship fun for kids!
Photo: Save the Children in El Salvador
Photo: Save the Children in Ethiopia
Photo: Save the Children in Bangladesh
LENS BUDDIES
Our sponsorship team
CHILD CHANGEMAKERS
in El Salvador
Photo: Save the Children in Ethiopia
knows that pictures In Bangladesh, our Save the Children team helped kids
are important because they give sponsors a take their health into their own hands. These girls and boys
way to connect to their sponsored child and watch organized a campaign to raise awareness about healthy habits
them grow. But team members noticed that young and child rights in the Rayerbazar slum community where they
children were sometimes scared of the big cameras live. Armed with a megaphone and colorful handmade signs,
Sacha (right)
they use since most had never seen a camera before. these young changemakers shared messages on the importance
and Chimdi
So, our team partnered with a local organization of regular handwashing, safe drinking water and children’s
to create “Lens Buddies”. These cute creatures go educational rights with parents and community members.
around the camera lens and make the children happy They even made the caps on their heads!
… so happy, in fact, that we’re now rolling Lens
they live a poor life but they have Buddies out in all Save the Children offices.
so much fun – they’re always
happy. We get upset about the KIDS WRITING FOR KIDS
strangest things … but they’re Children in Bhutan have limited access to reading
Flip through the pages
of these remarkable
thankful for what they have.”
materials at home and at school. Children’s books with storybooks to see the
creativity of sponsored
local stories and themes are in even shorter supply. To
– Sacha, child sponsor child authors come alive!
address this need, our team got to work on a creative
solution that gives girls and boys an opportunity to
Watch our video interview with Sacha and express themselves through writing and drawing. So
his dad as they reflect on their remarkable far, we’ve collaborated with local school and community
journey to Chimdi’s school in Ethiopia. partners to publish 30 children’s storybooks written by
some very special 6-12-year-old authors and illustrators.
CLICK ME Step into their world with a click of a button! CLICK ME
SPONSORSHIP YEAR IN REVIEW 27
 OUR MISSION
Save the Children believes
every child deserves a future.
In the United States and
around the world, we give
children a healthy start in
life, the opportunity to learn
and protection from harm.
We do whatever it takes for
children – every day and in
times of crisis – transforming
their lives and the future
we share.

8%
5%

87%
WHERE YOUR GIVING GOES
87% PROGRAM SERVICES
8% FUNDRAISING
5% MANAGEMENT & GENERAL

Front Cover Photo:

Save the Children in the Philippines

SPONSOR
SavetheChildren.org/Sponsor
BE INSPIRED
SavetheChildren.org/SponsorBlog
ENGAGE
SavetheChildren.org/SignUp
Photo: Save the Children in Malawi

501 Kings Highway East

Suite 400
Fairfield, CT 06825
supportercare@savechildren.org
1.800.SAVETHECHILDREN