War Child
'A world where no childs life is torn apart by war'
War Child was founded in 1993 by film-makers David Wilson and Bill Leeson, on assignment in the former-Yugoslavia they were horrified by the violence and ethnic cleansing they witnessed and especially its impact on children. War Childs main objective is to increase the scale of their work and reach more children in conflict areas. In 2015, the number of children, young people and adults who received direct support from War Child was 126000.
Both Wilson and Leeson were equally shocked at the apathy and inaction of political leaders regarding the massacres on their European doorstep, and so War Child was born. Instead of relying on politicians, War Child looked to musicians and pop stars to help publicise the plight of children caught up in war. In 1995 War Child persuaded 'The Cream' of British musicians, including Paul McCartney, Oasis, Blur and Radiohead to record on their 'Help' album. The album was recorded in three days and went straight to number one in the UK as well as raising £1.25 million in the process. The money helped to build the Pavarotti Music Centre in Mostar - a unique project that used music therapy to treat traumatised children from all sides of the conflict. War Childs relationship with music continues even now with producing more albums, hosting festivals and events.
The first War Child aid convoy delivered desperately needed supplies to the besieged people of Mostar, Bosnia. They also set up a mobile bakery that produced tens of thousands of loaves of bread per day.
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