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G8 leaders must not let Eurozone crisis sidetrack their focus on development

“Save the Children welcomes the G8 “New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition”, but leaders must not allow the Eurozone crisis to derail their leadership needed to fulfill its promise. G8 leaders can’t let the economic crisis in Europe cast a dark shadow over the bright promise they rolled out with African leaders this weekend.”

By now, I’ve developed a method of hammering my keyboard, typing one letter at a time, in the backseat of a Land Cruiser, on a bumpy road in rural Zinder, south Niger.

We’re heading to the village of Dan Badada, to see how Save the Children’s cash transfers are benefitting villagers.

Meeting Yaha

The one thing that puts things into perspective for me is talking to Yaha, a mother of nine, in the village of Dan Badada. She actually used to have ten children, but not anymore.

Blogger: Hedinn Halldorsson

I can hear him from outside the clinic. The heavy breathing, the sobbing.

I enter the stabilisation centre and see Abdul Aziz, one of the clinic‘s nurses, about to take a blood sample from Hanafi, a severely malnourished seven-month-old.

This is a stabilisation centre for malnourished children in Matameye, one of five such centres in Niger supported by Save the Children.

No energy to cry

It takes some time to find veins on Hanafi’s body, but eventually Abdul Aziz manages to.

A couple of weeks ago we saw Charles Taylor was convicted of terrible war crimes in Sierra Leone.

The next day, 27 April, gave us an opportunity to celebrate how far the country has come since the days of civil war, with the second anniversary of the launch of the Free Health Care Initiative (FHCI).

When Ernest Bai Koroma became President of Sierra Leone in 2007, he inherited a country with the worst child mortality rate worldwide: one in four children died before the age of five.

Children caught up in conflict in South Sudan are facing increasing risk of death, injury and recruitment by armed groups, Save the Children warned today.

Friday, May 4, 2012 - 11:28

The latest round of fighting has forced tens of thousands of people from their homes, and up to 60% of the displaced are children. Displaced children face a number of serious risks, from being caught up in violence and witnessing traumatic events, to falling out of education and losing the chance of a future that could pull them and South Sudan out of poverty and violence.

“Today everything needs education. Now people understand the importance of education. I will continue with education until I become old or blind.”

At 35 years old, midwife Riek Machiek believes it is not too late for her to learn how to read and write in English.

She enrolled on the Save the Children-supported Alternative Learning Programme (ALP) in October last year. Now every evening, she and her classmates in Rumbek attend classes under a tree.

Although she is still in level one, she is determined to reach great heights.