On the Road
Empowered Mothers Take Charge
As we sat and spoke with women at the counseling session on a warm day in Pakistan last week, it was clear to me that these women knew what they wanted—for themselves, for their families, and especially for their children. About 20 women, some in bright shalwar kamaz and others in dark burkas, sat under […]
With No Way to Return Home, Syrian Refugees in Iraq Live in Limbo
The boy standing in the cement block doorway called to us to take his picture. We couldn’t resist his bright smile in the bleak and dust of the refugee camp. We went over and snapped a few shots and he looked at them proudly on our cell phones. His uncle, who was hovering close by, […]
In This Case, Second Place Isn’t Something To Celebrate
Early this month I took my first trip to Abuja, Nigeria. Despite visiting almost 60 countries with Save the Children, I had never been to the West African nation. It is a country of over 162 million, one of the most populous in the region and seventh most populous in the world. With an average […]
In Refugee Camps, Basics Become Luxuries
The Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan is home to more than 100,000 refugees who have fled the fighting in Syria, but it’s unlikely that any of the camp’s residents consider this place—cold, crowded and under resourced—“home.” I traveled to Za’atari last week after the launch of Save the Children’s recent global report, Childhood Under […]
Finding Hope in Haiti
I expected to be disappointed. Disappointed that more had not been done; disappointed that there were still families living in squalor in tent cities; disappointed that there was still no education or health system; disappointed that there wasn’t more progress. And while I saw things that made me frustrated and angry on my fourth trip […]
Sandy Hook Elementary School Tragedy: Coming Together to Protect Children
Save the Children has worked to ensure the safety and well-being of children around the world for nearly 100 years. We work with children all over the world who have been dramatically affected by war, crisis and violence. We believe that every child has the right to a safe and vibrant childhood. We applaud President […]
Talking to Your Kids about Sandy Hook
We are all shocked and saddened by the tragedy of the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, yesterday. Our thoughts are with the affected children and families. Save the Children staff is now on site in Newtown, offering assistance if needed. We have set up a Child Friendly Space, where […]
Ready and Able in Vietnam
Today’s entry is a guest blog from Le Thi Bich Hang and Nguyen Van Gia, my colleagues in Save the Children’s Vietnam Country Office. I met Hang and Gia during my last trip to Vietnam when, alongside Country Director Huy Sinh Pham and
A Visit to Vietnam Uncovers Progress, Challenges—and Joy!
Vietnam has made progress by leaps and bounds in the past decade, improving economic growth, boosting newborn and child survival rates and getting more kids in school. As I traveled throughout the country last week, I could see that this progress was rooted in the determination and industriousness of the Vietnamese people. They have worked […]
The Tough Got Going: Managing a Disaster, Inside and Out
You know that old cliché: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” I recently saw evidence of this in spades when Hurricane Sandy not only hit the Northeast—but also hit the Save the Children headquarters and, what’s worse, many of our staff members’ homes. It’s fascinating to see how people react when their […]
