To Save the Children

The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization. It was founded in the UK in 1919 by Eglantyne Jebb and her sister Dorothy Buxton, with the initial goal of feeding children during the Blockade of Germany. It was determined in 1921 that it would become a permanent organization after needs were recognized across Europe and Russia. The mission became "an international effort to preserve child life wherever it is menaced by conditions of economic hardship and distress". The organization raises money to improve children's lives by creating better educational opportunities, better health care, and improved economic opportunities. It achieves this through several methods, including health, education, and protection programs. The group was one of the first organizations to assist children and work with holocaust survivors following World War II, and has been present for crisis management during the Korean War, the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, Vietnam War, and the 2014 Ebola outbreak, among others. In 2011, Dr. Shakil Afridi, the organizer of a fake vaccination program in Pakistan. claimed he was with Save the Children but was found to be working with the CIA. The incident led to violence against health workers and ultimately led to the expulsion of Save the Children from the country. The organization denied any involvement. In 2023, the organization faced scrutiny following the death of Hisham al-Hakimi, who was the Yemen Coutry Office’s safety and security director. He had been arrested by Houthi authorities on September 9 and later died in custody. An investigation later that year determined failures in incident and risk management. Save the Children launched Save the Children Global Ventures (SCGV) in 2022.