Save the Children (España)
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| Save the Children (España) | |
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| Name | Save the Children (España) |
| Formation | 1979 |
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Headquarters | Madrid, Spain |
| Leader title | President |
| Region served | Spain, international |
| Parent organization | Save the Children International |
Save the Children (España) is the Spanish national member of the international Save the Children movement, active in humanitarian relief, child protection, and development. Founded in 1979, the organization operates across Spain and in multiple international contexts, collaborating with humanitarian actors, United Nations agencies, and civil society networks. Its work spans emergency response, education, health, social protection, and advocacy aimed at improving the rights and welfare of children.
History
Save the Children (España) was established in 1979 amid the late-20th-century expansion of international Save the Children affiliates alongside contemporaneous humanitarian initiatives such as UNICEF programming and Médecins Sans Frontières deployments. In its early decades it engaged in responses linked to conflicts like the Gulf War and humanitarian crises in Central America, coordinating with organizations such as Red Cross societies and regional NGOs in the European Union. During the 2000s the organization scaled programs in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and partnered with actors involved in reconstruction after the Haiti earthquake of 2010. Throughout the 2010s and 2020s it expanded domestic programming amid socioeconomic shifts following the 2008 financial crisis in Spain and collaborated with institutions including World Food Programme and World Health Organization.
Mission and Objectives
The stated mission emphasizes protecting children's rights as articulated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and related instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Objectives include promoting access to services comparable to those advanced by UNICEF and UNHCR for vulnerable populations, reducing child poverty in line with Sustainable Development Goals targets, and ensuring child protection consistent with standards from Inter-agency Standing Committee guidelines and regional frameworks like the European Union child protection policies.
Organizational Structure and Governance
The governance model aligns with typical structures in international NGOs, featuring a board of trustees, executive leadership, and programme units that coordinate with Save the Children International mechanisms such as the Global Accountability Framework. National headquarters in Madrid coordinate regional offices across autonomous communities including Catalonia, Andalusia, and Valencia. Operational departments work with external entities such as municipal administrations in Barcelona and Seville, national ministries including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Spain), and donor bodies like European Commission directorates.
Programs and Activities
Program portfolios include emergency response operations modeled after standards from Sphere Project and education initiatives comparable to those promoted by UNESCO. Activities encompass early childhood care, non-formal education in contexts similar to refugee camps exemplified by past interventions in Lebanon and Jordan, child protection for unaccompanied minors akin to cases processed under Dublin Regulation frameworks, and nutritional programs aligned with World Food Programme protocols. Domestic services target children affected by poverty and social exclusion linked to macroeconomic events such as the European debt crisis, offering psychosocial support alongside vocational training initiatives similar to projects supported by European Social Fund.
Funding and Financials
Funding streams combine private donations, institutional grants, and competitive funding from entities like the European Commission, national agencies such as AECID, and philanthropic foundations including those associated with corporations registered on the IBEX 35. Financial accountability follows norms used by international NGOs, subject to audits by firms such as Deloitte and reporting aligned with International Financial Reporting Standards when applicable. Income fluctuates in response to major emergencies like the Syrian civil war and donor cycles driven by geopolitical events such as the Libyan Civil War.
Advocacy and Campaigns
Advocacy work includes public campaigns on child poverty, protection against exploitation, and education access, coordinated with coalitions such as European Civic Forum and networks like ChildFund Alliance. Campaign tactics mirror those used in global mobilizations including petitions, parliamentary briefings in the Cortes Generales, and public awareness initiatives comparable to media efforts by Amnesty International and Oxfam. The organization has engaged in policy dialogues on migration involving stakeholders from Frontex debates and legal frameworks such as the Common European Asylum System.
Partnerships and International Work
International operations are implemented in partnership with multilateral agencies such as UNICEF, UNHCR, World Bank, and bilateral partners including the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation; collaboratives include humanitarian consortia active in contexts like South Sudan, Somalia, and Afghanistan. Partnerships with academic institutions—such as collaborations with Spanish universities like Complutense University of Madrid and international research centers—support monitoring and evaluation using methodologies akin to those promoted by UNICEF and Save the Children International. Coordination with networks such as European NGO Confederation for Relief and Development and participation in humanitarian clusters underpin field-level cooperation in complex emergencies.
Category:Non-profit organisations based in Spain Category:Children's rights organizations Category:Humanitarian aid organizations