In 2022, Save the Children Laos and World Mosquito Program (WMP) launched its initiative in the capital city of Vientiane to combat the growing threat of mosquito-borne diseases. Phase 1 of the project, which covered the Saysettha and Chantabouly districts, was successfully completed in August 2023. Following this success, Phase 2A expanded coverage to include the districts of Sisattanak, Sikhottabong, Hatxayfong, Naxaythong and Xaythany, concluding in January 2026.Now entering Phase 2B, the project is scaling up significantly to cover approximately 37 km² across all nine districts of Vientiane Capital, alongside 25 km² across Luang Prabang, Oudomxay, Savannakhet, and Champasak provinces. This expansion will bring WMP’s protective, self-sustaining Wolbachia method to more than 1.2 million people.

In the Afar region, Hayat*, a mother of two, has embraced the Emergent Literacy and Math (ELM) at Home initiative to transform her household into a vibrant learning environment. Following regular visits from teachers and participating in school-based parental meetings, Hayat* began creating teaching materials from available home resources to teach her son, Ali*, letters, colors, and numbers through play. This home-based intervention has led to a remarkable transformation in Ali’s* confidence and academic skills; he is now able to identify the English alphabet, handle a pencil to write letters, and read words and phrases—changes so visible that neighbors now remark that Hayat’s* house "looks like a school."

In the Afar region, Senait*, a mother of four, is witnessing a major shift in how her youngest daughter, Helen*, prepares for school. Unlike her older siblings who started primary school without any preparation, Helen* is supported by the Emergent Literacy and Math (ELM) at Home initiative. Through monthly teacher visits and school-based parental meetings, Senait* has learned to use local materials like cardboard to teach Helen* colours, letters, and numbers so she is well-prepared to start school. This "play-based" approach has not only improved Helen’s* literacy but has significantly boosted her confidence and communication skills.

Alice*, a mother of three from Turkana County, struggled to keep her children alive as prolonged drought, food insecurity, and poverty pushed her family to the brink. When her four-year-old daughter Charity* developed severe acute malnutrition and began losing her eyesight, Save the Children reached their community through the UK Aid Match-funded ACCEPT project. After receiving life-saving treatment and Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), Charity recovered her strength and sight, giving Alice renewed hope. Today, despite walking three hours to access outreach services and facing ongoing hardship, Alice continues to seek care for her children, determined to give them a healthier future.

In a pastoralist community in the Afar Region, five-year-old Kedija* is experiencing a different educational start than her older siblings. Through the LEGO Foundation-funded Childhood Development Activity (CDA), Kedija’s* parents, Halima* and Kemal*, participated in house-to-house awareness sessions and monthly parental group dialogues These sessions taught them how to transform their home into a learning environment using locally available materials like sand, sticks, and mud. As a result, Kedija* has developed strong numeracy and literacy skills, improved her social interactions, and now dreams of becoming a doctor.

Nora Ingdal, Save the Children Lebanon Country Director, reflects on her recent trip to southern Lebanon where she found destruction after months of war. On 16 April 2026, a temporary and conditional ceasefire was announced and later extended, bringing critical relief to children and families in Lebanon. Despite the “so-called” ceasefire, Israeli forces continued to carry out daily airstrikes that have resulted in hundreds of casualties, including children.