100 YEARS 
FOR CHILDREN

Parents don’t usually marry off their young teenage girls out of cruelty or callousness. They do it because, in the toughest places in the world, it has often been seen as the best way to give their children a secure future. But the consequences for girls forced into child marriage can be devastating: abuse or neglect from a husband they barely know, early, dangerous pregnancy, and the end of their education and any chance of building a future of their choosing. That was the fate facing 15-year-old Shumi, whose parents wanted to marry her to man she had never met. Shumi was against the marriage, and enlisted the support of Jasmin, a neighbour and Save the Children-trained peer leader who runs an advocacy group for girls in the village. Jasmin convinced Shumi’s family she didn’t need to be married and should complete her studies instead – now she’ll get that chance. “I want to be successful in life,” says Shumi. “Now I’ll complete my education and become a good human being.” A FULL CASE STUDY IS AVAILABLE Tom Merilion/Save The Children

Ghinwa*, 13, standing with her Child Rights & Governance group in a refugee settlement in Beirut, Lebanon Children and families in Lebanon have endured multiple crises in recent years, including an economic collapse and severe depression, political deadlock and rising instability, a massive explosion in Beirut’s port, the COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently a food security crisis compounded by the conflict in Ukraine: all of which have endangered children’s basic rights. Ghinwa*, and her family fled the war in Syria when she was just five-years-old and settled in a Palestinian camp in Beirut. Since then, life has been extremely hard for all of them. With her father unable to work due to a stroke, and her older brother needing regular medical treatment, Ghinwa* has to try to help bring in money - so she sells water and tissues to drivers at a busy crossroads outside the camp. Aware of the negative impact of this on her wellbeing, she adds: "Working makes me feel that I am very poor and always in need... like I am so different to other people (kids) who don’t work." She wasn't able to start school until aged 10, and so naturally struggled to keep up with her peers - and when the economic crisis hit bringing electricity cuts and teachers’ strikes, she stopped attending school altogether. Ghinwa* felt her life had no possibilities: "I couldn't read or write, I had no hope for my future, I had no dreams" she says. But now, not only is she literate, but has self-believe: "If I study and focus hard, I can achieve anything I want." Ghinwa* attends a Save the Children supported education centre near her home. There, she has learnt to read and write, grown in confidence, made friends, and become informed about her rights, eager to speak up on behalf of all child refugees. Save the Children places a great importance on encouraging children and young people to speak up about their rights, delivering a message to those who have the power to make change. Life is still challenging for this young activist but the difference is she now has education, and therefore a dream: to be a lawyer, defending children's rights. The impact of the education centre on Ghinwa* cannot be underestimated - "It has changed my whole life" she says. Through the Child’s Rights Governance programme, Save the Children aims to amplify children’s voices and make them heard on the national, regional and global level. The programme helps build the capacity of children to become child rights advocates and agents of change. Jonathan Hyams / Save the Children

Fatima* and Faiza* are eight-year-old twin sisters. They were displaced from their countryside in Deir Ezzor seven years ago. Their father passed away six years ago due to a heart attack. They live with their mother and their six siblings, ranging in age from 16 to 6, in a dilapidated and abandoned building on the outskirts of Raqqa, within one of the random camps for displaced people in Northeast Syria. Their dwelling consists of a half-destroyed room with no windows or doors. Before 2022, the twins had never attended school and did not know how to read or write. After Save the Children built a temporary educational center near the camp, they were registered by the support team. They attended Save the Children's school and completed grade one; currently, they are in grade two. They have acquired skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. In addition to their studies, they participate in child protection activities at the center, including psychological support sessions. Both twins now aspire to complete their education: Fatima* dreams of becoming a doctor, while Faiza* aims to become a hairdresser. They are dedicated to achieving these goals and fulfilling their ambitions. Deeply attached to their mother, Fatima* and Faiza* are determined to make her proud by becoming educated and independent. They aspire to support her in the future and repay her care by excelling in their studies and helping her with household responsibilities and homework. Delil Souleiman / Save the Children