Half of child deaths under the age of five occur within the first month of life.
Every day, 15,000 children die of diseases that can often be prevented and treated by simple and affordable measures. There is a lack of sufficiently skilled staff to deal with maternal and newborn complications, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
In 2019, we innovated!
Washing hands with recycled water
In 2019, we reached the milestone of 20 innovative projects, the latest being the prototype of a handwashing station that uses recycled water. Initially deployed on a pilot basis in a displaced persons camp in Nigeria, this innovative technology has enabled more than 400 children to wash their hands every day.
Saving children’s lives through artificial intelligence
The tablet-based tool IeDA has helped healthcare personnel to better diagnose children under five in Burkina Faso since 2014. The data collected is being analysed and will be used to predict epidemic outbreaks and improve the quality of healthcare.
1200 newborns saved in Mali in 2019
The first month of life is a crucial time for a child’s survival. Tdh trains midwives in remote areas in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa to improve their response to complications during childbirth and thus reduce maternal and child mortality.
Venezuela–Colombia: emergency aid along the migration route
By the end of 2019, 4.6 million Venezuelans had fled their country because of the economic crisis. On the main migration route in Colombia, we provided emergency aid to 15,600 children and their families.
Microbanking in Togo: a first in children’s aid
Tdh took on the innovative challenge of a microbanking app designed to protect young migrants’ savings. Thanks to the SaVa (Safe Savings) micro-savings project, launched in partnership with Ecobank and the African Movement of Working Children and Youth (AMWCY) in February 2019, 200 children and young people were able to keep their money safe.
Elie, 13 years old
«When my mother died, I found myself alone and I joined a group of children who were the same age as me. I started working in the big market in Lomé where I earned 500 CFA francs (about CHF 0.80) a day. One day, I gave 35,000 CFA francs (about CHF 56) to a woman, who ran off with the money,» says Elie*, 13 years old. «SaVa gives support to young people like me and our money won’t be stolen anymore.»
Children’s views in the Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty
The UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty was published in October 2019. It reveals some alarming figures: roughly 1.5 million children are deprived of liberty each year based on a judicial or administrative decision. Tdh has collected and included the views of 270 children in this report.
Iraq: supporting young people in detention
The judicial system has become overburdened in post-war Iraq. Our access to justice programme supports young people in detention by preparing them for their reintegration into society and by protecting their rights.
Psychosocial support
Tdh is the only international NGO in Baghdad offering psychosocial support to 1300 young people in prison. Most of them are males aged between 9 and 22 and suffer from post-traumatic stress or depression.
Education
More than 1000 children and young people being held in detention centres took part in educational or recreational activities and received learning materials.
Outreach
We provide support to children and young people on their release from detention and prepare families and community members for their return to facilitate their reintegration.
Legal support
We refer young people who need legal assistance to specialised lawyers so that they can be represented at their trial. More than 560 children and young people have received legal support.
Training
We trained around 100 government officials and NGOs in child protection, conflict management and psychosocial support so that these representatives of the formal and informal justice system are better able to protect children and young people in conflict with the law.
Mediation to prevent the detention of minors
Favouring mediation rather than a judgement in criminal proceedings: this pioneering approach promoted by Tdh in Burkina Faso has had positive outcomes. Our close collaboration with the local community and actors of the justice system has led to a reduction in the number of children detained.
Using art to foster participation
Our YouCreate methodology encourages the participation of young people in migration or affected by a humanitarian crisis. By managing their own artistic or digital projects, they improve their skills and are informed about their rights.
Thank you for your support!
All this is also thanks to you. With your support, we have been able to help more than four million children and their families in 38 countries in 2019. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Learn more about our projects
Discover more projects and testimonials in our full annual report.
