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2023 Annual Report
Message from the President and Founder
2023 was a violent year. Our screens were flooded with images of civilians – and especially children – facing horrendous suffering. Over the last two years, War Child staff have witnessed an escalation in extreme armed violence across several of our countries of operation, including Sudan, Afghanistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The struggles of children caught in these conflicts have only deepened because of international neglect and underfunding.
It is true that individuals, businesses, and many governments have made substantial contributions to the most visible crises. But this response has been accompanied by a steep decline in support for other humanitarian disasters. By the end of 2023, humanitarian appeals for crises beyond Ukraine and Gaza stood at less than 35% funded. This at a time when 50 million people face starvation and entire populations have been forced from their homes. South Sudan alone has seen 600,000 desperate Sudanese people arrive seeking sanctuary.
"I know War Child from Sudan. You were always there when others left. We knew you would not forget us. We knew you would come."
Where We Work
War Child’s model of humanitarian action is rooted in collaboration and is locally driven and locally led. We work to foster the capacity of children, their families, and their communities to develop resilience, self-reliance, and self-determination in overcoming the impacts of violence and displacement.
Select a country below to learn more about its unique geopolitical context and War Child’s methods of response.
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War Child's Impact in 2023
Education
Globally, a staggering 250 million children are out of school, with many denied their right to learn because of armed conflict. For a quarter of a century, War Child has pioneered creative and innovative solutions to bring children back to the classroom. Recognizing that the complexity of war creates a wide array of barriers to education, War Child tailors its approach to meet the unique challenges that children face. From giving young refugees a chance to catch up on missed years, to providing distance learning when it is impossible to get to school safely, War Child believes that whatever it takes, every child should have the opportunity to learn.
Opportunities
War and armed conflict directly affect families’ ability to earn money and support themselves. Farmland becomes inaccessible, markets are destroyed, livestock is looted, manufacturing materials are unavailable, and banks are closed or inoperable. These, and a host of other challenges, contribute to a cycle of poverty that is difficult to break.
In coping with intractable poverty, people turn to strategies of last resort, such as early and forced marriage, overuse of natural resources, reduced investments in children’s education, and even criminality and corruption. For young men, the lure of armed groups becomes difficult to resist. These factors represent long-term, systemic challenges to the development of robust livelihood opportunities. War Child works to change that.
War Child provides vocational and skills training to parents and young people and offers guidance and financial support to help them establish sustainable businesses. By helping people lift themselves out of poverty, War Child empowers them to make positive decisions for themselves and their families and regain a sense of security and independence.
Protection
The rights of women and children can only be protected if everybody knows what they are. This is why War Child spends a lot of time and energy promoting them within communities. This can take many forms, from youth-led initiatives on peace and conflict management, to radio broadcasts on the rights of children, to programming that gives women a lead role in both the design and implementation of the work.
We seek to empower women and children with the skills and tools to advocate for themselves and build the capacity of the whole community to be their champions. A population-wide understanding of women and children’s rights is the most powerful way to ensure they become the bedrock on which a more secure and peaceful future can be built.
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Stories of Success in 2023
01
Getting young people in the Democratic Republic of Congo back into learning
“I am very grateful to War Child for giving me the chance to be in school today.”
Esther is 17 years old. When she was younger, she was forced to drop out of school because her parents could no longer afford the fees. For years she was stuck at home helping her mother while her old school friends continued their education. One day she heard about War Child’s Back to Learning program through a community awareness campaign. It was finally a chance to return to education. She thought she would be too old, but she was accepted into the program.
02
Lifting up Afghan women through economic empowerment
“I sew clothes and with the money I earn,
I can address my family’s problems. My children are now able to attend school.
I am thankful to War Child for providing the training and materials that have allowed me to stand on my own two feet and support my family.”
Sabira is one of thousands of refugees who were forced to forced to return to Afghanistan from Pakistan in 2023. She and her children were in dire circumstances. She had no money and no opportunity to work.
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03
Sustainable Farming in South Sudan
“These animals help me a lot. When they reproduce, I can sell some of them and use the money to buy a few things that I need to improve my life.”
Sara is a small-scale farmer in South Sudan. She has always supported herself by cultivating crops to sell at the market, but South Sudan has been unstable since its foundation just over a decade ago. Sara’s livelihood has often been disrupted by violent clashes. Eventually she was forced to move from her ancestral village to safer ground, leaving behind her land and crops.
04
Catching up on missed education
“When I heard about the program and its free benefits, I thought it was too good to be true. I was happy to have the opportunity to continue my formal education and so I enrolled without hesitation. It has been the best decision
of my life.”
20-year-old Sheria fled violent conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo with his family in 2012 and now lives in a refugee settlement in Uganda. At first his parents were able to use what scant resources they had to pay for his education, but the pandemic was devastating and once it had passed, they no longer had the money. For Sheria, it felt like life had come to a standstill.
05
Walking With Amal
In June 2023, War Child lead part of the international phenomenon, Walk with Amal. As part of the Government of Canada-funded Geared for Success initiative to create awareness about refugee education, our team coordinated with Luminato Festival, the Walk with Amal team, and Clay and Paper Puppetry Theatre to create a 10-foot-tall Ugandan Crested Crane to interact with the famous 12-foot Amal, a larger-than-life puppet representing a 10-year-old refugee girl. Refugee students from War Child’s Uganda program wrote messages of hope for Amal as she walks her journey to find comfort and safety in this world.
Watch this inspirational experience click here
06
Gala 2023: The World That’s Possible
In December 2023, close to 400 people came together to celebrate the world that is made possible by War Child’s programs and to honour some remarkable individuals – Peter Gilgan, Victor G. Dodig, and The Tragically Hip and Jake Gold. With incredible performers and inspirational speeches, this Gala event raised a record breaking $1,265,000 to support some of the most vulnerable communities in the world. In increasingly volatile times, the generous support received is truly encouraging.
Watch the excitement of Gala 2023 click here
Our Supporters
Thank you to our generous supporters, major partners, and donors.
$150,000
Anonymous
Peter Gilgan Foundation
$100,000 - $125,000
CIBC
$25,000 - $50,000
Frishkorn Family Foundation
Mantella Corporation
Mattamy Homes
Maverix Private Equity
Michael and Penny Eizenga
Slaight Family Foundation
$15,000
Ernst & Young LLP
E-L Financial Corporation Limited
Live Nation Canada
Peter Cundill Foundation
Universal Music Canada
Viking Capital Corp.
$10,000
Alberta and Peter Stringham
Ammar Al-Joundi
Blink49
BMO
Guardian Capital LP
Heather Jessiman
High Tide Inc.
Jaylynn H Bennett Foundation
Linamar Corp.
Margaret Atwood
Neil and Tammy Cawse
Peter Gilgan
PwC
Richard Rooney
Saporito Foods Inc.
Schneider Family Foundation
Staples Canada
Tory’s LLP
Gifts in Kind
Donovan Woods
KPW Communications
Mandell Entertainment Group
Sangita Patel
Scarlet Lens Productions
The Globe and Mail
Whitehorse