Children have rights and they should be able to exercise them without any hindrances. They should be able to survive their first month of life and receive nourishment and protection – without discrimination. They should be given identity papers in order to have a legal existence. They should have access to quality health services and clean drinking water. They should be able to attend school. They should be protected from abuse. They should be able to stay with their parents until they have grown up. When the time is right, they should be able to learn a profession they enjoy, by being given access to quality training. And above all, children should not suffer the devastating outcome of conflicts, crises or natural disasters. Is this too much to askfor ? 

The world in which we live is far from ideal. Almost six million children are forced to live in slavery. Seven million children under the age of five die every year, mainly of benign illnesses that we are able to treat. Millions of children flee dramatic circumstances and drift for years while looking for asylum. How many reach a destination where they are treated, above all, as children that should be protected? How many of them die, alone and invisible, along the way? Yet despite all of this, child suffering is not inevitable! In ten years, 100 million children have been able to escape exploitation. Infant mortality rates have decreased by 40% in 25 years. 

In order to be able to provide concrete and sustainable solutions for children’s problems, ambition, a great deal of listening and pragmatism and a measure of innovation and solid collaboration are needed in interactions with the children themselves, their mothers, their families, the community and all the other actors involved. 

This requires relevance and expertise, and it is this recipe that allows Terre des hommes to offer direct and effective assistance to children year after year. In 2013, 2.4 million people benefited from our projects. This historic success is also yours, thanks to your support for our activities. Thank you from the depths of all of our hearts!