Child Protection United Kingdom Project #63284

THE SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND

Project Report | Sep 21, 2026
Save the Children UK - Annual Report 2025

By Save the Children UK | Save the Children UK

Please see Save the Children's 2025 Annual Report here -Save the Children Annual Report 2025

In 2025, the Save the Children global movement directly supported 37.8 million children in 92 countries around the world. Save the Children UK supported the global movement in 37 countries. We provided technical expertise, funding, strategic and governance support, advocacy, programme management and humanitarian response work. We also supported staff, partners and the wider humanitarian sector with capacity-strengthening programmes.

We want to deliver change for children now, as well as long-lasting changes to the policies and practices that affect them. We are committed to putting power and resources into the hands of communities and countries closest to our work. This means sharing our experience, data, knowledge and skills to forge truly equitable partnerships. It also involves elevating the voices and views of children wherever we can. Every child matters – and we want to reach the most marginalised and discriminated against.

Links:

https://i.stci.uk/dam/annual-report-2025-tsp-ch11594965.pdf/fr56uvecp24bdm232q2y3e478dl8a82e.pdf

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May 11, 2026
How reading has changed this boy's world

By Salome Dore | Digital Content Manager

Evans, 7, reading The River of Nabeau

Evans has plans. First, he wants to be chief of his grandad's island - a role he takes seriously, because "one of the roles of a chief is to look after the community." Then, once that's done, he'd like to discover space.

"I like stories about space, because space is my favourite," says the 7-year-old from Sanma Province, in the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. "One day, when I'm done being chief, I'll choose something else, so I can go and discover space!"

His mum Leah laughs when she talks about him. "He asks questions most of the day until he goes to bed. I just have to tell him, 'Look, leave some for tomorrow, it's bedtime now!'"

Evans is the kind of child who reads under the table at school ("in peace and quiet"), who wonders about black holes and robots on Mars, and who, if he could jump into any story, would choose Lightning McQueen - "so I could race other champs and be the winner of the racing gold cup."

Books, for Evans, are not just entertainment. They are how he makes sense of the world, and reaches beyond it.

Why access to books matters

Research from the University of Cambridge found that children who read for pleasure from an early age show better cognitive performance, stronger mental health, and measurably larger brain areas linked to learning and wellbeing into adolescence - regardless of a child's family background or income. Reading isn't a luxury. It's one of the most equalising things a child can have access to.

But in Vanuatu, books are in short supply. National results show that eight out of ten children cannot read by grade three; and a large proportion of students are failing to achieve expected outcomes in reading comprehension and writing in standardised tests.

These are not just numbers. They represent children whose curiosity - curiosity like Evans' - has nowhere to go.

Stories that look like home

That is what makes the next part of this story so important.

Save the Children's social enterprise Library For All has worked with Ni-Vanuatu writers to create 59 new books - written in both English and French, inspired by stories that children themselves wrote during Save the Children workshops. The books are set in Vanuatu. They reflect its landscapes, its communities, its daily life.

All 56,000 primary schoolchildren across Vanuatu are receiving these books.

Leah noticed the difference immediately. "I think the new books are really good," she says. "It gives them a sense of pride that their culture and their traditions have been written down just like any other place in the world."

That matters. When children see themselves in stories - their islands, their games, their families - reading stops being an abstract school task and becomes something personal. Something worth caring about.

"Seeing Evans reading a lot of books - and his imagination, and the questions that he asks every day - it just goes to show that books are really good for kids," Leah adds. "They expand their horizons, their imaginations, so they explore beyond what they have here in Vanuatu."

A child born during a volcano

Evans was born in 2018, on the day a volcanic eruption forced his family to evacuate their home island of Ambae. He nearly lost his life on his first day in the world. The fact that he was born during the volcan, Leah says, is the first thing he tells everyone he meets - and he tells it with pride.

He has grown up in a country uniquely vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters - the kind of disruption that cuts children off from education just when they need it most. The fact that he reads under a tree with his best friend Dylan, that he has a bookshelf in his kitchen next to his toys, that he can tell you in vivid detail about Dog Man and robot fish and invading aliens - none of that is accidental. It is the result of people deciding that children in Vanuatu deserve stories as much as children anywhere else.

Evans will probably be a chief one day. He may or may not make it to space. But right now, he is a 7-year-old with a library, a best friend, and an imagination that nobody can put a ceiling on.

That is exactly as it should be.

Want to support children's reading?

Whether you are reading with a child at home or thinking about the millions of children globally who lack access to books, small actions add up. Find tips for reading with your child on our website - and discover more about how Save the Children is working to put help children learn and grow.

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Jan 15, 2026
10 good things that happened for children in 2025

By Rebecca Huddleston | Digital Content Manager

2025 has been a difficult year for children around the world. But amidst the chaos of conflict and climate emergencies, there is so much hope. Positive change has occurred this year - and lots of it too.

From a ban on child marriage to disease-reducing mosquitos, here are just 10 good things that happened for children in 2025:

1. Bolivia bans child marriage

Bolivia became the 14th country in Latin America to ban child marriage after girls across the country and Save the Children joined a campaign to criminalise the practice.

Before the law was passed in September, more than one in five girls were forced into unions before the age of 18, according to official data, and about 3% were married before the age of 15.

The approval of this law marks a new reality for over 4 million children across Bolivia – half of whom are girls - and represents a fundamental victory in the fight for the rights of children.

2. 450,000 children to be lifted out of poverty in UK after two-child benefit cap scrapped

The two-child benefit cap will end in 2026, meaning that parents on low incomes in the UK can claim benefits for all of their children, not just the first two. Ending the restriction, which has been in effect since 2017, will lift 450,000 children out of poverty.

The announcement sends a clear signal that all our children's lives are valued regardless of the circumstances of their birth and that the UK Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life. This win came after years of hard campaigning by Save the Children, inspiring families and many others.

3. Historic court ruling acknowledges impacts of climate change on children’s rights

In a landmark win for children, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) acknowledged the adverse impacts of climate change on child rights, and offered children renewed hope.

The Advisory Opinion - delivered by the world’s highest court - found that states’ legal obligations to address climate change extend beyond existing climate agreements.

Research released this year by Save the Children with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) found that the difference between global temperature rise of 1.5°C and 2.7°C could see 38 million more children from the 2020 birth cohort face unprecedented lifetime exposure to extreme heatwaves. The historic ruling gives renewed hope that more will be done to prevent climate change and protect children from its impacts.

4. Corporal punishment is banned in Thailand

Thailand became the 68th country to ban the use of corporal punishment, a practice still widely accepted at home and in school, reflecting deeply rooted cultural attitudes.

Three in four children aged 1-14 in Thailand have experienced some form of corporal punishment. The new law bans the use of all types of violent discipline or corporal punishment in schools, homes, residential care facilities, juvenile protection and training centres, and daycare centres.

5. Children in Somalia have greater legal protections

Children across Somalia will have greater legal protections for themselves and their rights, including access to health and education, after Somalia’s federal parliament ratified Africa’s only regional charter on the rights of the child.

After decades of conflict in Somalia, cases of grave violations of children remain rampant including sexual assault, abductions, and recruitment into armed groups.

With the charter’s strong calls for child participation and elimination of harmful cultural practices, Somalia will be required to take all necessary steps to advance legal protections for children and allocate adequate resources for enforcement.

6. 40 Tonnes of medical aid reached Sudan, destined for children and families

A cargo plane carrying 40 metric tonnes of medical supplies landed in Port Sudan in November, with essential drugs, medical equipment and therapeutic food to treat children in Sudan. The delivery from Nairobi was the largest aid consignment by an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) since March 2025, and the supplies are now being taken by road to reach children and families in the hardest-to-access areas across Sudan, including in Tawila, North Darfur.

The consignment – which includes essential drugs such as antibiotics to treat respiratory infections, fluids, and treatment for malnutrition - is enough to keep hundreds of health facilities running for 6-12 months, allowing hundreds of thousands of children to be treated.

7. Preventing child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation in Ethiopia

Save the Children and its partners have helped prevent 211 child marriages and 416 cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Ethiopia since 2020.

Girls and boys in part of Ethiopia’s Somali region have played a part in reducing cases of FGM in their community by advocating for change and children’s rights through a Save the Children Child Club. There’s also been a decline in child marriage in the community, with more girls now staying in school and pursuing their education.

The girls use theatre and street drama to raise awareness of girls’ rights, as well as visiting communities, religious leaders and women who have practiced FGM to educate them about the negative impacts for both boys and girls.

8. Save the Children able to respond more swiftly to disasters after getting WHO recognition

Save the Children’s Emergency Health Unit (EHU) has become the first NGO maternal and baby specialist Emergency Medical Team to be verified by the World Health Organisation, meaning it can be deployed to health emergencies in countries across the globe.

The EHU has reached over five million people and trained 18,000 health workers. The teams - comprising doctors, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, paramedics, logistics personnel and water and sanitation specialists - are trained to respond rapidly and provide comprehensive support to local health systems.

Receiving the WHO certification is recognition of the specialist care needed by women and babies when disasters strike. It reinforces our ability to act swiftly in crises and provide essential care to women and newborns who would otherwise be left without support.

9. Disease-reducing mosquitoes in Laos aim to cut dengue cases

More than 130 million disease-reducing mosquitoes are being released in Laos, after cases of dengue hit a record high globally in 2024 at over 14.4 million, more than double the previous record of 2023, with children at greater risk of severe dengue illness.

The project rears mosquitoes which carry a naturally occurring bacteria called Wolbachia, which reduces the insect’s ability to transmit deadly viruses to people, decreasing the risk of dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever outbreaks. When Wolbachia mosquitoes are released, they breed with wild mosquitoes until, over several generations, they replace the local mosquito population.

Wolbachia mosquitoes have already shown remarkable success in combating dengue in cities around the world, from Brazil to Indonesia.

10. Trained volunteers on bicycles help mothers deliver safely in rural Zambia

Trained community-based volunteers in rural Zambia are getting on bicycles to help identify and refer mothers for pre and post-natal care in areas where women often have to travel long distances to reach healthcare.

In partnership with the Zambian Ministry of health, some 140 volunteers have been trained to use bicycles to travel into remote communities, identifying mothers and babies in their homes who might need extra care, and providing them with information and referrals when needed. In 2025, the team referred 403 pregnant women for prenatal care, enabled 269 mothers to give birth safely in health facilities, and supported 259 mothers to receive postnatal care.

Positive change is possible

Despite everything that's happened this year, we've been there to give help and hope to children who need it. These 10 things are proof that change is possible, no matter what is going on in the world.

And we couldn't do any of this without our community of wonderful supporters who choose to stand with children when it feels like there's no hope left.

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