Watch video of children participating in Save the Children’s programs in the United States and Africa share their thanks with American Idol viewers.

When the Idol Gives Back charity fundraising program aired last April, millions of viewers were moved by stories of children living in poverty in Africa and the United States. The audience opened their hearts and their wallets, giving more than $75 million to Charity Projects Entertainment Fund, established to combat extreme poverty. Save the Children received $13.5 million of these generous donations and an additional $1 million from Allstate Insurance Company. Over the last year, Save the Children has put the money to work improving the lives of children in need throughout Africa and America.

Hannah in Jackson County, Kentucky, and Tinsae in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia are two pre-schoolers living worlds apart, but they are both among thousands of children benefiting from Save the Children programs with the support of donations from American Idol viewers.

In the United States, Idol Gives Back funds are helping thousands of children like 4-year-old Hannah, who is learning to read in an Idol Gives Back-supported pre-school program. Viewer donations are helping support early childhood development, literacy, physical activity and nutrition programs in some of our nation's poorest rural communities. In addition, Idol Gives Back funds are touching the lives of America's children impacted by natural disasters, including children affected by the devastating wildfires in Southern California last fall and children on the Gulf Coast still recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. More>

In Africa, Idol Gives Back viewers are supporting a pre-school program for 6-year-old Tinsae and providing critical health, nutrition and early childhood development services to thousands of children living in six of the poorest African countries. Donations are also being used to help reduce common and preventable illnesses, like pneumonia and diarrhea, which are the leading causes of death for children under age 5, and to provide early educational support, with a particular focus on children orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. In addition, with viewer support, Save the Children is helping ensure that children in school have clean water, sanitation facilities and health services to address students' health and school attendance. More>

Learn about this year's Idol Gives Back show, Which aired on April 9

American Idol judge Randy Jackson supports Save the Children