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Who are we?
A Small Beginning with a Big Impact
Eglantyne Jebb, Founder of Save the Children
From one woman’s determination
to a global movement for children's rights
During World War I, the blockade of supply routes across Europe left many children malnourished, sick, and dying. This heartbreaking situation compelled a British schoolteacher, Eglantyne Jebb, to protest against her government. She distributed leaflets in the town square, calling for the reopening of supply routes to enemy territories to save children's lives.
Her actions led to her arrest on charges of disturbing the peace. In court, she was found guilty, but her efforts impressed the judge, who paid her fine. This fine became the first funding for the organization we now know as Save the Children, the world’s first independent children's organization.
Today, Save the Children operates in over 120 countries with more than 25,000 staff, working to ensure children have a healthy start in life, access to education, and protection from harm.
Our ambition for 2030 is to create a world in which all children:
Survive: No child dies from preventable causes before their fifth birthday
Learn: All children learn from a quality basic education
Are Protected: Violence against children is no longer tolerated.
The Declaration of the Rights of the Child
Concerning child rights
Our founder, Eglantyne Jebb, played a key role in drafting and advocating for the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. She believed every child should have the fundamental right to protection, care, and opportunities for self-development.
After witnessing the hardships faced by children affected by World War I, she drafted what became the “Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child,” adopted by the League of Nations in 1924. This marked the first step in establishing children's rights globally and laid the foundation for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most universally accepted human rights treaty in history.
In 2013, Save the Children International was formed to unite all offices into a single global team. Save the Children Thailand was officially registered as a foundation in 2022.
Today, Save the Children Thailand operates offices in Bangkok, Pattani, and Mae Sot (Tak Province) to run programmes supporting children and youth in areas such as education, wellbeing, and emergency response. We collaborate with government agencies, private organisations, civil society, communities, families, and, most importantly, children and youth, empowering them to use their voices and take action on issues directly affecting them.
For A Bright Future For Every Child
Our Beginnings in Thailand
Save the Children began its work in Thailand in 1979 during the Cambodian refugee crisis. The organisation sent medical teams and specialists to provide healthcare support in refugee camps in Sa Kaeo Province
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In the decades that followed, Save the Children offices from the U.S., the U.K., and Sweden expanded their efforts across Thailand and the Mekong region. They implemented programmes focusing on youth development, combating child trafficking in the Mekong area, positive parenting, child sponsorship, and emergency relief.
A group of refugees at a camp in Sa Kaeo volunteered with Save the Children during Christmas in 1979.
A commemoration for Eglantyne Jebb at the headquarter of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva.