Save the Children CEO: China made enormous progress in children protection

Helle Thorning-Schmidt, CEO of Save the Children International and former Danish Prime Minister describes the organization’s path to success in China. [Photographer / China Development Gateway]

“China has changed children’s lives enormously over last 40 years.,” Helle Thorning-Schmidt, CEO of Save the Children International and former Danish Prime Minister told china.org.cn. “I’ve been to China many times now. I feel I get to know China more and more every time I come.”

In existence for about a hundred years, one of Save the Children International’s stated goals is to create a world where no child has to live with violence. China is among the over 120 countries that Save the Children International works in currently. During the past 30 years, the charity has helped millions of children in China get access to better health, education and other services through various projects, with more than half a million children and their parents covered just last year.

In discussing past achievements in China, Thorning-Schmidt described the organization’s path to success.

“We understand that Save the Children is just a little drop in the ocean, particularly in China,” Thorning-Schmidt said. “The only thing we can do is talk to governments to make them see things in a new way. So in China, we are particularly pleased that we have created such a good partnership with the various ministries, because that is the only way we can create real change for Chinese children.”

According to Thorning-Schmidt, the organization is working with the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs to create a child protection system in the country. She said the organization is also working with social workers, police and legal offices to influence the justice system to provide better treatment to juvenile offenders.

Helle Thorning-Schmidt, CEO of Save the Children International and former Danish Prime Minister (right) says that her organization is working to influence the Chinese justice system to provide better treatment to juvenile offenders. [Photographer / China Development Gateway]

Two other areas in which Save the Children collaborates with the Chinese government include children with disabilities and “left-behind children.”

“In many ways, children with disabilities are almost hidden away and they’re not allowed to access to the normal education system,” Thorning-Schmidt said. With the collaboration of Save the Children, the Ministry of Education developed new rules to help children with disabilities access main stream education.

In China, many children are also left behind by their parents who migrate to big cities to find work. The charity also provides education services to these children.

“We are very inspired by the Belt and Road Initiative announced by the president,” she said. “We feel we can play a role in helping the Chinese government help children in other countries, because this is the next big step for the Chinese government to not only work with children in China; but help in other countries as well.”