War Child (charity)

The organization established War Child UK in 1994, War Child Holland in 1995, War Child Canada in 1999, and War Child Australia in 2002.

History[edit]

War Child was established by film-makers Bill Leeson, David Wilson, and social entrepreneur and peace activist Willemijn Verloop in response to violence and ethnic cleansing they witnessed in war-torn former Yugoslavia in 1993, in the midst of the Bosnian War.^[1] The trio were deeply shocked by the children’s experiences of conflict but were inspired by the positive impact music therapy workshops run by Music Therapy professor Nigel Osborne in air raid shelters in Mostar and Sarajevo were having on the children’s well-being. In 1993, the first convoy with equipment and food to run a mobile bakery travelled to former Yugoslavia.


After leaving Bosnia, Leeson and Wilson went on to establish War Child UK in 1994 and Verloop returned to the Netherlands where she organised fundraising events in support of children in conflict zones, setting up Stichting War Child (known as War Child Holland) on 9 October 1995. The organisation grew rapidly and within three years was present in Sudan, Ingushetia, and Pakistan. The organization attributes access to businesses and ambassadors to its growth over the course of a ten-year marketing strategy.

War Child Holland works on strengthening the resilience and well-being of children living in war-affected countries, acting in partnership with children and their communities to deliver interventions. Its specific focus is providing relevant mental health and psychosocial support, protection and education, as well as rapid assistance in emergency situations.


It is made up of three entities: War Child Netherlands, War Child Sweden (established in 2016) and War Child Germany (established in 2019). Its work is supported by 487 national and international staff as well as volunteers and advocates. The organization works in 16 countries, including:


In the Middle East, it provides children from both refugee and marginalized host communities with vital education and psychosocial support. In Africa, its work is intended to help children cope with the immediate and long-term consequences of conflict and build life skills. In Latin America, it promotes conflict resolution and boosting wellbeing and resilience of local children.


In 2021, War Child Holland raised €50.3 million in funds and was financially supported by 51 institutions and foundations and 95,000 structural donors. The organization works with an estimated 164 partner organizations to implement its projects, helping it meet the needs of 48,477 children and adults (2021). It has 5,556 full time members of staff .^[2] Because of the large numbers of children in war and conflict, War Child Holland seeks to offer its methods to other organizations. It is currently building a global network to share knowledge with partners around the world in an effort to give as many children as possible the right support. Can't Wait to Learn, one of the organization’s flagship projects, has been being carried out in collaboration with partners around the world since 2015. This is an educational programme in which children receive an education using tablets. With the help of educational games, children are given the ability to catch up with school lessons and learn basic skills such as reading and counting. In 2019, War Child received a prize from UNESCO for its education programme.^[3]


A number of high profile goodwill ambassadors support War Child Holland’s work. In 2015, War Child Holland launched its own research and development programme which critically evaluates War Child's methods, substantiates them scientifically, and shares them with other organisations. In this way, War Child believes more children can be reached ("upscaling").