*****August Impact Briefing for John*****
Quick recap — read more below:

KENTUCKY: "This tornado was so destructive, it killed 19 people and displaced more than 800 families." - MacKenzie Champlin Save the Children team member Pakistan: "We went to school but the teacher told us the school building is not safe." - Arsalan*, a 10-year-old student affected by the 2022 DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO "If I didn't have this assistance, I was going to die." - Shekinah*, a mother isolated from medical care in North

This month’s Save the Children impact briefing features updates from our work in the U.S., the Democratic Republic of Congo and Pakistan.

First, we’re sharing an update from our team in Kentucky, with progress since deadly tornadoes swept through small towns in the state earlier this year.

📍London, Kentucky

In May, several tornadoes ripped through Missouri, Kentucky and Virginia, displacing families and destroying homes and neighborhoods.

Save the Children has been serving Kentucky’s rural communities for the last 90 years. We responded immediately after the series of devastating storms to assess impacts on local childcare centers and early learning centers, distributing child-focused supplies and cash assistance to support families’ needs.

Save the Children staff member and London, Kentucky resident MacKenzie Chamblin provides insight into the tornadoes that impacted her community and how Save the Children is responding by holding distributions to provide critical supplies and support to help children and families hardest hit by the powerful storm in eastern Kentucky.

Hear an update on our response from London, Kentucky, resident and Save the Children staff member MacKenzie >>

Next, we’re sharing the impact of foreign aid cuts to critical aid programs, like Save the Children’s funding of a Maternal Health clinic in one of our partner hospitals in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

📍North Kivu Province, DRC

Throughout a complicated pregnancy with her youngest child, Muhindo*, Shekinah* – a 26-year-old mother of four living in Goma, DRC –nearly lost her life. With no means to afford hospital care, Shekinah was prepared to deliver Muhindo at home — a decision she knew could be fatal for both her and her child.

“I would have returned home. I'd rather risk life and death than go to a place where I can't pay the bill.”

This was the reality that Shekinah faced. Thankfully, she was referred to a Save the Children-supported hospital.

Shekinah* with her newborn baby in a hospital three days after giving birth.

Programs like these, often funded by international aid, are a lifeline for pregnant women and mothers in crisis. Your support helps close the gap in places affected by devastating cuts to lifesaving assistance.

Click here to read more about the impact of foreign aid cuts on children and their families. >>

Finally, we’re sharing Arsalan’s story of resilience after devastating floods swept through his village, destroying his home and school in Pakistan.

📍Khairpur, Pakistan

Arsalan* sitting outside his damaged school in Khairpur, Pakistan

In the summer of 2022, major floods devastated 10-year-old Arsalan’s* village. The heavy rains forced Arsalan, his family and other families to flee to safety. But when they returned, they found their homes in ruins. On top of that, Arsalan’s school was damaged and unsafe for use. His education came to an abrupt halt with no solution in sight.

That’s when Save the Children quickly intervened. We set up an education tent with teachers to ensure that learning could continue – but Arsalan and his classmates needed a more permanent solution.

That’s when Save the Children partnered with the Sindh Ministry of Education and Literacy to build the province’s first climate-resilient school. It’s designed to withstand future disasters, with raised foundations to prevent flooding, high ceilings and improved ventilation for heatwaves and solar panels to ensure a reliable, sustainable power supply.

Arsalan is now thriving in a proper classroom environment and is so proud of his school.

It’s one example of how your support helps us go beyond disaster relief, building long-term solutions to the crises impacting children.

Click here to read more about our flood response around the world >>

Every dollar you send makes these stories possible. As Save the Children grapples with the devastating impacts of foreign aid cuts, your support means more now than ever. Please donate today >>

Thanks for being a part of this team,

Save the Children