Our Work
Our Mission
Accelerating peace by disrupting the cycle of violence.
Our mission is to drive generational change for the hardest hit by investing in the power of local communities.
EDUCATION
War forces children out of the classroom. But, interruptions in learning can halt a child’s development and limit opportunities for the future.
Education is vital for long-term peace, giving the next generation the skills and options necessary to reject conflict. War Child restores every child’s right to learn by pioneering new delivery methods such as radio-based learning for at risk girls, adapting curriculums and training educators to reach kids in conflict zones.
OPPORTUNITY
The immediacy of war makes it difficult for families to provide for their children’s most basic needs.
War Child’s livelihood programming helps women and young people secure dignified employment for themselves while reducing reliance on foreign aid.
JUSTICE
In times of conflict, women and children are often targets of violence, including physical, sexual and psychological abuse.
And because war can hamper a community’s ability to bring perpetrators to justice, War Child is a registered law firm in Afghanistan and Uganda where we provide legal support directly to survivors. We also work to reform entire legal systems so that they support women and kids.
War Child works to protect children and their families in conflict zones.
By focusing on the three main pillars of education, opportunity and justice, our programs create sustainable peace for generations to come. We recognize that every community is unique with its own set of challenges and needs. War Child uses a locally-driven, long-term approach tailored to meet the specific needs of each community that champions local people as the drivers of change and peace. Together with our partner, War Child Canada, our programs support over 600,000 people every year.
War Child has worked in conflict areas since 1999. Over the years, our reach has grown substantially, benefiting hundreds of thousands of children and community members every year. The lessons learned over a decade and a half have helped us to develop and improve our work.
The children we dedicate our work to are the most marginalized and most vulnerable. Their lives have been torn apart by war. Their safety is compromised. Their families have lost all means of supporting them, and there is no longer education nor the legal protection that we take for granted. Many have been forced from their homes and, in many cases, their countries.
Local people are vital to our success. 98% of our staff are from the countries where we work. We have local partner organizations in each of those countries. They bring a wealth of knowledge and shared experience that ensures our work fits the needs of the community.
Childhood is shaped by many influences. Families, communities, schools, local authorities and governments all have a duty of care for children and an influence on their lives. We work with them to ensure that children are given the support they need to overcome the effects of conflict.
Our work is only possible because of those who support us. This includes UN agencies like UNICEF and UNHCR, the European Union and the governments of Canada and the United States. This diversity is testament to our record of success.
Where We Work
War Child’s programming is rooted in the belief that for a community to properly recover from conflict, it must drive the process.
War Child empowers people to create an environment where childhood can thrive. This is vital not only for the young people who attend our programs but also for our staff, 98% of whom are recruited locally.
- Afghanistan
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- The Democratic Republic of Congo
- Uganda
- Yemen
