3 times Canadian Aid Achieved Change for Children and Young People

From ensuring girls can access education to protecting children in the fight against COVID-19, Canadian aid is helping to shape a better world for children everywhere.

Thanks to the incredible generosity and commitment of the Canadian public, the Canadian government and our vital corporate partners, we’re delivering aid where it is needed most. Canadian aid means more children can thrive and reach their full potential. It also helps us work towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

In honour of International Development Week, we’re looking at some of the ways that Canadian aid has made a difference:

1) It’s giving children in crisis a reason to smile:

Play is fundamental for children’s learning and development. Sadly, in many conflict-affected countries and refugee camps, access to something as simple as a toy can be non-existent.

In partnership with the children’s entertainment and toy company, Spin Master, Save the Children is bringing the magic of play to children. Together, we’ve delivered more than 140,000 toys to children living in refugee and internally displaced persons camps in Iraq and Kenya.

Spin Master’s Toy Movement initiative gives children affected by conflict, in some of the hardest-to-reach places, the chance to play, have fun and just be children again.

 

2.Woman like Sawsan can start their own businesses, thanks to Canadian aid:

A changing climate impacts everyone – but it’s marginalized groups, especially women and girls, who are disproportionately affected.

In the occupied Palestinian territory, some of the best and brightest who are leading climate action, are young women and girls. Sawsan, 26, from Gaza, has always been interested to find environmentally friendly solutions in agriculture. Through Save the Children’s SHE SUCCEEDS economic empowerment project, Sawsan launched a hydroponic business, growing beans in a 300 square meter space.

“Working in agriculture is great in all aspects.  It is good for the environment and it generates income for me. It is a source of pride and delight. I encourage all girls to work in agriculture and improve their skills,” Sawsan explained.

SHE SUCCEEDS is implemented by Save the Children in partnership with the Palestinian Agriculture Relief Committee (PARC) and MA’AN Development Center and funded by Global Affairs Canada.

3.It’s INSPIRE-ing change for infants and new and expecting mothers in Ethiopia

To support optimal growth and development of infants, one of the best practices is to introduce complementary foods to breastmilk after 6 months. These foods should be nutritionally diverse. However, such foods are not always readily available. That’s why, together with the Canadian government, Save the Children is supporting a new solution: local materials and production run by women-owned businesses.

For the first time in the Aba’ala Zone in Afar region of Ethiopia, supplies are being locally produced to make nutritious complementary foods. Fifteen women run this business, all of whom are new businesswomen.

Save the Children’s Improving Nutritional Status of Pregnant and Lactating Women and Children in Rural Ethiopia (INSPIRE) project takes a multi-sectoral approach to improving nutrition. This includes the economic empowerment of women as well as improving access through local production.

The project has reached over 618,000 people directly, 78% of whom were women, when it came to increased access to quality nutrition services that has contributed to improving the nutritional status of children under five and pregnant and lactating women.