War Child was founded in 1993 by film-makers David Wilson and Bill Leeson. On assignment in the former-Yugoslavia they were horrified by the violence and ethnic cleansing they witnessed. And especially its impact on children.
War Child works with children who, as a result of conflict, live with a combination of poverty, exclusion and insecurity. These children might include street children, child headed households, children conscripted into armed groups, and children who have been put in prison.
Their mission is to support and improve the care and protection of children and young people who live with a combination of insecurity, poverty and exclusion in some of the worse conflict-affected places. They look forward to a world in which the lives of children are no longer torn apart by war. This is a vision that can only be realised through the collective actions of children themselves, communities and their leaders, organisations like War Child, governments and key decision makers.
To protect, educate and stand up for the rights of children caught up in war.
They aim to reach children as early as possible when conflict breaks out, and stay on to support them - long after the TV cameras have gone home.
They help keep them safe, give them an education, and equip them with skills for the future.
They understand children’s needs, respect their rights, and put them at the centre of everything they do. Whether it's helping Syrian children access education, rehabilitating ex-child soldiers in the Central African Republic or seeking justice for young people detained in Afghanistan.
They also work with children and young people to change systems and practices that affect them. They campaign on the root causes of conflict, and they demand that children are at the centre of all humanitarian responses.
Their vital, life-changing work covers four main areas:
