The Leap

Playing outside with friends, reading stories until bedtime and the excitement of a new school bag are all the simple joys childhood should be made of. For many children you support, that kind of childhood is something to dream about. Until you help make it real. 
 

“I like reading because I learn hard words,” says seven-year-old Evans, “Reading teaches me how to be kind to people.” 

Evans is bright, inquisitive and full of high hopes – he wants to be an island chief one day, like his grandad.  His mum, Leah, tells us Evans is so inquisitive he asks questions all day until he goes to bed, “I just have to tell him, ‘Look, leave some for tomorrow, it's bedtime now!’” 

Reading fuels that curiosity, letting Evans’ imagination fly far from his home in Vanuatu to fictional worlds and into outer space. “I like the stories about space, because space is my favourite. One day, when I’m done being chief, I’ll choose something else, so I can go and discover space!”
 

Evans was born on the day a volcano erupted on another island – the island his family is from – and they had to evacuate the day after he was born. He nearly lost his life. His mum says it’s the very first thing Evans tells new people he meets. It's a story he is clearly proud to share, but it's also a reminder of how vulnerable Vanuatu is to natural disasters. 

For children like Evans, the impacts of climate change and natural disasters are holding them back. Books are in short supply in Vanuatu, and the majority of its children struggle to read. 
 

But your support is providing all 56,000 of Vanuatu’s primary schoolchildren with books born from a Save the Children workshop – tales set in Vanuatu, written by children, about the world they know. 
 

Sandi* and Suha* lost their mum and sister when a rocket hit their home. Now they live in a displacement camp with their three siblings. Worried for their safety, their grandad didn’t let them go to school. Every day they watched other children putting on school bags and dreamed of going, but their grandad said no. Thanks to you, we were there to change his mind and a new chapter started for the siblings. 

“When entering [school] from the gate, I felt as if I was stepping into a new world. The ground was covered with green grass, it was like heaven. 

The rooms were painted with beautiful paintings. Girls were in the yard playing and having fun. My heart was beating so fast with excitement, and I was full of joy." 

Keep scrolling to see the Photo of the Month. 

Evelin, 2, walks to preschool in Malawi. Save the Children is helping her family, giving them seeds to grow their own nutritious food. "I feel like Evie is healthy because she has porridge in the morning before school", says her big brother, Cosmas.  

More young people are giving their time to help children. In 2021 the average age of a new Save the Children shop volunteer was 42. It’s now 28 years old.** 

National Volunteers Week takes place 1-7 June and if you’ve been thinking of giving your time for children, take a look at our volunteer opportunities.
 

PS. I’m sure it’s on your mind that, for many children today, dreams like these feel impossible. We're raising awareness of what children growing up in conflict are facing by sharing Ali’s* powerful story as far and wide as possible. 

*Names changed to keep children and their families safe.

**Last year, 42% of new Save the Children shop volunteers were aged between 18-24, a big increase compared to 28% in 2021.