our impact

Cousins Kuji, 19 and Kpemeh, 18 wear their Ending Child Marriage Champion T-shirts in Kailahun, Sierra Leone. Photo: Shona Hamilton / Save the Children Shona Hamilton / Save the Children

Zaynab*, 16, lives in Borno, northeast Nigeria. Zaynab* is a Girl Champion for Save the Children Nigeria and has taken part to global, regional, and national level events speaking up on issues around girls and how conflict in the Northeast Nigeria affects children. She says that early child marriage is a form of violence that "denies a girl of her childhood, disrupts her education and limits her opportunities." Zaynab's* childhood friend was married off by her parents and died in childbirth. Zaynab* says that what happened to her friend motivated here even more to advocate against early marriage. Another issue Zaynab* is passionate about is access to education: she says she was deeply affected when she was out of school for one year due to conflict in the region where she lives. Zaynab* says that living in a conflict area like Borno affects children in many other ways. For example, she says that children in her area are at risk of "being abducted", and that boys are sometimes recruited by armed groups as child soldiers. Zaynab* thinks that during increased tensions in Borno, child marriage rates increase due to parents taking the opportunity to take their daughters out of school and marrying them off. Etinosa Yvonne / Save the Children

Munni 18, is a trailblazer in her community, becoming the first girl to try her hand at fish farming. She lives with her mum, dad, brother, and her sister Tanni, 12. Munni and Tanni do everything together “wherever I go, I take her along. I like it. I’m lucky to have a younger sister.” Tanni learns a lot from Munni and Munni hopes to lead by setting a good example for Tanni. Munni and her family felt the impact of climate change first-hand when their home was destroyed during the seasonal floods. “Half of our house was sunk in the mud. And my father repaired it himself. We’ve [been] through a lot here. It’s been painful”. Munni has taken part in training we’ve run in her community, as part of the Suchana Programme which is supporting communities to increase sustainable food production, treat malnutrition, educate women and girls on issues such as child marriage and build climate resilient practice to protect communities against flooding. Munni has learnt a lot as part of the training provided. Munni was given ducks so that she could sell the eggs for an income. Munni has also been shown how to fish farm in her small pond susceptible to floods and we provided her with all the equipment. She has been teaching other people in the community how to fish farm, particularly climate resilient practices, so that livelihoods are not destroyed during flooding. “Everyone praises that I am doing fish farming”. Munni is also a peer leader at one of the girls groups. “I love the meetings. I learned many new things”. Munni has become an advocate on subjects such as child marriage, health and nutrition. Munni is really passionate about these issues and teaches people in her community – “Even if they are not members of the girls group, even they are aware and understand. We teach them what we learn”. Fabeha Monir/Save the Children

Climate change is wreaking havoc on the island nation of Vanuatu. And a young activist is taking on the defining challenge of our lifetime. “I've experienced many cyclones,” says 15-year-old Vepaia: “It can be kind-of terrifying.” She lists the challenges faced by her community: increasingly fierce and unpredictable cyclones, missed education, destroyed crops, food shortages, flooded gardens, damaged homes, relocation, widespread climate anxiety and fear… and any one of them should raise the alarm. “I wish every country could just switch to renewable energy and just stop using fossil fuels,” says Vepaia: “That would definitely make a better world for our children.” Inspired by her mother – the first female Ni-Vanuatu judge – and her grandmother – a poet and gender equality advocate – Vepaia campaigns for the entwined goals of gender equality and climate justice. And now, she’s taking her fight to The Hague. Supported and trained by the team at Save the Children’s NextGen programme, Vepaia will join lawyers from Vanuatu at the oral proceedings at the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands. The team will advocate for the inclusion of children’s rights in the climate justice debate and call for an advisory opinion that acknowledges States’ obligations to future generations. “I really hope that the work I do now – the messages I'm trying to spread – can have an impact,” says Vepaia, who leads ocean cleanups, likes reading and rowing and writes nature poetry in her spare time: “I want to see more people having a more stable livelihood and, you know, being able to have food on the table every night and have a steady source of income.” Modest goals and human rights that, as Vepaia reminds us, we must act now to protect for future generations around the world. Conor Ashleigh / Save the Children

Omar, Chief Nurse at the Integrated Health Center, clips a pulse oximeter device onto a patient to measure two vital indicators: oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate. These measurements are crucial for detecting respiratory issues and ensuring proper oxygenation, especially in young children who are most at risk. The Save the Children USAID Kulawa Project in Niger trained Omar and other team members on the use of the pulse oximeter. Djamila Ibrahim / Integrated Health Center, Niger

Fatima*, 40, is a mother of three. her children are a 13-year-old girl (not pictured), 16-year-old Sami* and 19-year-old Maysa*. They are displaced and received a food parcel from Save the Children, distributed by partner organisation Beir Lahia Development Association. A distribution of food parcels was carried out for families living in a camp in Deir Al-Balah. The food parcels included cheese, fava beans, hummus, beans, olives, tuna, fruit jam, tahini, tea, sugar, halva, dates, za’atar, olive oil, canned meat, peas, some disposable plates and containers, as well as wet wipes. These parcels come at a time when people are facing unprecedented price hikes for essential goods and severe shortages of certain items. Beit Lahia Development Association/Save the Children