Stories of children we helped

A mother holds her baby girl in Melghat, Maharashtra. Like other rural areas in India, Melghat’s under-five mortality rate is shocking. Save the Children has been working in Melghat to improve health and access to livelihoods through the empowerment of tribal communities, by ensuring their participation in all the decision making processes that affect their lives. So far, programme efforts supported by Save the Children have enabled children from these groups to gain access to education and economic opportunities to lead progressive lifestyles.       Sonam, 8, goes to class in the Anandayi Centre, a state-supported school located in Jhuggi Jhoparpatti Colony, a poor, overcrowded neighbourhood in west Delhi, India. Sonam walks 2 kilometres every morning to go to school. Her mother cannot afford to give her eggs, milk or fruit. While she does receive free education and a hot mid-day meal at school, Sonam finds it hard to follow her lessons. Save the Children will start working with schools in this area to improve the quality of education, as well as enrollment and retention of students.       Mehrajuddin’s father Abdul Rehman Dar and sister Roma were killed by unidentified persons in the winter of 2003. Rehman, a resident of Sari, Baramulla district of Kashmir valley, was working as a daily labourer. Beside Mehrajuddin (14), he had three daughters Afroza, Roma, Naseema and wife Amina. After Rehman’s death it was very difficult for Amina to run the household. She did not have any agricultural land or any regular source of income. Not being able to cope up with the hardship of daily life after the tragedy, Amina decided to send Mehrajuddin to a local orphanage, which would take care of his basic needs. After some time Amina’s health deteriorated and being alone, her position became a bit precarious. Mehrajuddin returned home to take care of his mother; however, he was not able to stay with his mother for a long time as the family’s financial condition was the same when he had left for the orphanage. During the same time a Child Protection Committee (CPC) was being formed in the village and they helped bring Mehrajuddin back to his home. The CPC after bringing Mehrajuddin back to his mother provided him educational support in the form of uniform and stationery items. The CPC also decided that it will provide dietary items, clothes and medicines to the family on regular basis so that the mother and the child are not separated and are taken care of.       Somvati gives water to her youngest daughter Munni in Melghat Maharashtra, India. Munni is severely malnourished, but Somvati doesn’t recognize it. She does not think her daughter is ill, or needs any special care. Save the Children has been working in Melghat to improve health and access to livelihoods through the empowerment of tribal communities by ensuring their participation in all the decision making processes that affect their lives. So far, programme efforts supported by Save the Children have enabled children from these groups to gain access to education and economic opportunities to lead progressive lifestyles.       Children play in a Child Friendly Space established by Save the Children in the village of Gonghi, Khagaria district, Bihar state, India. Over five million people are said to have been affected by the floods. Save the Children has responded to the emergency by giving out food, water purification tablets, tarpaulins for shelter and medical assistance. These are the worst floods that the affected districts have seen since 1952.     The products mentioned in the Donation Pages are to illustrate the change that your donations can make to the lives of children .            Save the Children, based on its expertise in the area of child rights will ultimately decide the thematic area to which your funds are allocated.