Africa
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Save the Children's Presence in Africa:
Fact Sheet May 2009 (PDF)
Although one of Africa’s major oil producers, Angola is also one of the world’s poorest countries. Bordering the Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola is rebuilding after a 27-year civil war. In addition, the country faces the daunting tasks of retrieving weapons from its heavily-armed population and strengthening government and civil institutions, particularly at the local levels. Landmines and impassable roads make access extremely difficult, limiting economic development opportunities. Read More
The people of Burkina Faso, like their neighbors in Mali, occupy the semi-arid Sahel region of western Africa. With virtually no access to education — only 36 percent of the nation's children are enrolled in primary school and the national literacy rate is a mere 13 percent — Save the Children's program activities in education and health services are critical. Save the Children integrates activities in education and health, services to reach the maximum number of children with basic quality education, health and nutrition programs at village-based schools. This combination has had such a positive impact on the health of local children that the national government signed a contract with Save the Children to expand the program to more than half of Burkina Faso's 45 provinces. Read More
Save the Children has been a significant presence in Ethiopia since 1984, when we arrived to provide life-saving food, water and health services for over half a million people devastated by famine. Today, our programs have grown significantly to meet the persistent challenges that confront Ethiopia, one of the world's poorest countries. Our work focuses on its chronic poverty and food insecurity, the poor health of the general population, a growing HIV/AIDS crisis and a substandard education sector. Read More
Throughout the years of turmoil in West Africa, Guinea has remained a relatively stable country until recently. Despite the potential of its natural resources, most people in Guinea live in abject poverty. Guinea is suffering the consequences of 47 years of authoritarian rule: dire economic, political and social conditions, as well as relative isolation from external information and improved technologies. Read More
Over the last several years, Malawi has made great progress in reducing child mortality and increasing school enrollment. These successes are overshadowed by stagnant economic growth, widespread poverty, low educational attainment, food insecurity, declining life expectancy and poor health and nutrition indicators. More than half the population (52 percent) lives below the poverty line and 22 percent live in extreme poverty. Among adults of reproductive age, some 14 percent are believed to be infected with HIV/AIDS, which plays a significant part in this pattern of national vulnerability. Read More
Mali is a large, landlocked West African country, neighbor to seven other nations. In the vast region known as the Sahel that covers most of Mali, life expectancy is about 49 years and literacy rates among adults are low. Rural families live on incomes they can make from small herds of cattle, goats and subsistence farming. Mali’s population of some 12.6 million people is expected to double over the next 20 years at the current growth rate. Read More
While Mozambique has made significant strides towards development in recent years, it still has one of the lowest life expectancies in the entire world. Save the Children's programs focus on extending the reach and quality of agriculture, health, micro-credit and educational services into rural areas, which lag sorely behind the rest of the country in reaping the benefits of Mozambique's rapidly growing economy. Read More
Before the current conflict in Darfur — in western Sudan — South Sudan was the scene of the worst fighting during the country's three decade-long civil war. Save the Children opened a separate office in South Sudan in November of 2000, to focus on the specific needs of this area, which has some of the worst socio-economic indicators in the world. Read More
Decades of war have helped create a country with some of the worst socio-economic indicators in the world. An estimated 5 million people in Sudan are displaced or living as refugees; many lack even the basics of clean water or food. Save the Children provides help in the form of emergency/disaster relief and longer-term assistance to war-affected children and adults, especially women. Read More
Since 1999, Save the Children has worked in several districts in Uganda to bring improved health and food security as well as learning opportunities, life skills and HIV/AIDS education to both children in need and their families. Read More
Save the Children has worked in Zimbabwe since 1984 through national partner agencies including UNICEF, government ministries and local NGOs. Last year, more than 140,000 people benefited directly from our work in Zimbabwe providing food, health care and protection. Read More
Last Updated August 2009
