Together for children in crisis
This year, Swiss Solidarity is collecting donations to protect, support and assist children who are victims of abuse and violence in Switzerland and in particularly affected regions such as the Sahel, the Middle East and Central America.
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In Switzerland
In Switzerland, thousands of children live in difficult circumstances where they are exposed to physical or psychological violence or neglect, seriously compromising their physical, mental and emotional well-being. The consequences of child abuse are long-lasting, profoundly affecting mental health and social relationships, and can have an impact on social and professional integration in adulthood.
The lack of suitable shelters for victims of violence exacerbates the situation and prevents many children at risk from being protected.
Worldwide
The situation is particularly dire in the Sahel, the Middle East and Central America, where millions of children are forced to grow up in extremely violent environments or flee armed violence and war. Today, more than 473 million children – nearly one in six worldwide – live in conflict zones, a record number since the Second World War. These children often live in extremely precarious situations and face exploitation, abuse and forced labour, and often have no access to education.
Violence against children in all its forms compromises access to education, health and well-being. It perpetuates a cycle of poverty and marginalisation. By protecting these children and supporting their development, we offer them hope for a better future.
Donations help support particularly vulnerable families in order to reduce the risk of violence or neglect. Programmes are set up to offer economic alternatives, thereby limiting child labour and early marriage and improving access to education. The aim is to create a protective family and community environment so that children can grow up safely.
In Switzerland, raising awareness among professionals (associations, nurseries, etc.) enables them to quickly identify risks to child protection and respond effectively.
For children who have already been victims of violence, it is essential to guarantee access to appropriate medical and psychological care, as well as education.
The funds are also used to set up shelters and safe places where these children can be welcomed, protected and supported in a caring and stable environment. These facilities play a key role in their rehabilitation and offer them a new start in life.
This component aims to help children overcome trauma by offering them tailored support to strengthen their resilience and well-being. This includes initiatives focused on improving their social and emotional skills.
At the same time, support is also provided to those around them, such as parents and teachers, to strengthen family ties and promote educational and protective environments.
Part of the funds are used to raise awareness among the population about the extent of the problem of child abuse and to highlight its often overlooked impacts. These actions also aim to influence public policy by campaigning for legislative changes, such as combating early marriage and strengthening child labour laws.
The goal is to ensure long-term structural solutions to protect children from all forms of violence and exploitation.
Get involved! Start your own fundraising initiative.
Is protecting children a cause close to your heart? This year, you can take action yourself by launching your own fundraising campaign for Gib es Härz. Whether it's a bake sale, charity run, concert or raffle, let your imagination run wild. Then simply register your charity event on our platform.
Questions and answers about collection
For our international projects, we work with 28 accredited Swiss NGO partners that meet our quality criteria. They submit their projects and, after rigorous scrutiny, receive our financial support. More information about these organisations is available on our website.
In Switzerland, institutions involved in the fight against child abuse can seek support from Swiss Solidarity in two ways: either by submitting a project for funding or by becoming one of our partner organisations. More information on this subject is available on our website.
We work closely with experienced institutions. These organisations are present in the affected regions and have the necessary expertise to recognise children's needs, identify affected children and implement projects accordingly. Project checks and visits are also carried out to ensure that projects are being implemented.
Our Swiss NGO partners sometimes collaborate with local organisations on the ground, which are very familiar with the situation and are familiar with the language, culture and problems of the beneficiaries. This is important, for example, when selecting the people concerned, to ensure that those in need receive help. We are aware of these organisations and, thanks to well-established collaboration with our Swiss NGO partners, we can be sure that high-quality projects will be funded.
Swiss Solidarity measures the long-term impact of its international projects through project visits and regular evaluations. The aim is to check the extent to which the support has a lasting effect and whether the objectives set have been achieved. These checks take place both during the implementation of the projects and after their completion, often over several years.
More detailed information on the monitoring of supported projects is available on our website at this address.
