2025: The Year in Pictures

What does childhood mean to you? Not growing up too fast, maybe. Or is it having the freedom to explore? A safe place to return. The right to ask ‘Why?' without fear. To never worry where your next meal will come from. To have a warm place to sleep, and a hand to hold.

Too many children had those freedoms taken from them this year. Cruelty and division spread like wildfires. And children were always hurt most.

These pictures capture childhood, its threats, and its defenders in 2025. A golden-shawled girl gets her first jab. Best friends float belly up in their fragile ocean. A young father kisses his precious son. They’re the good, the bad, and the snuggly. And behind each frame are stories of progress, pain, and the hard work of our teams. Heartwarming stories told by children, their families, and the award-winning photojournalists we’re proud to work with.

Ultimately, our Year in Pictures reveals that when children get the childhood they deserve they prove time and time again they’re capable of extraordinary things. Here’s proof that childhood is always worth fighting for.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Good mates loll after a long day of learning – a scene in schools the world over. Yet each one of them is unique.

“Marie likes to laugh a lot,” says Adel, proud of her little gang. “Agnes really likes to eat. And then there’s Regine… Regine doesn’t know what she wants.”

Just a year ago Adel didn’t have any friends. Her dad couldn’t afford the school fees because his work as a diamond miner is sporadic. So Adel had to drop out.

Only 44% of girls in DRC go to secondary school. Save the Children’s determined to change that, covering fees for thousands of girls like Adel, training teachers, building and renovating classrooms, and installing toilets.

Now Adel’s excelling, especially in maths and French. But results aren’t just on paper – she’s also growing in confidence, discovering her potential, and making friends for life.

Photographer Hugh Kinsella Cunningham:

“We wanted to tell a deeper story about being a schoolchild in a remote region of DRC. So we kept returning to the same classroom in the same school, highlighting the kids’ big personalities through participatory art projects, polaroid selfies, and capturing the girls playing at break or debating their test results.

“This photo was taken at the end of our last day, a cool sunset beginning after a relentlessly hot day. It’s a little window into a group of friends in their own world – a world that often makes it hard for them.”

One of the biggest risks of girls being out of school is being forced into early marriage.

Picture this. You're at home when guests arrive. Your father tells you to bring them some chairs. You do as he asks, but as you approach the group, you are told one of them – a man in his fifties – is to be your husband. What do you do? Are you brave enough to say no?

Mbombo* was. She’d been attending Save the Children’s sexual and reproductive health club, where she “heard about child marriage for the first time,” she says. “They taught us you shouldn’t get married before the age of 18.”

Mbombo’s mum, Mputu*, shared her concerns with Papa Francis*, a tailor and social worker at the local primary school. Francis, who was trained by Save the Children, spoke with Mbombo’s dad, but it was futile. So he escalated it to the local chiefs and police.

Mbombo is now back in school where she belongs, while training to become a tailor at Papa Francis’ workshop.

Photographer Hugh Kinsella Cunningham:

“Mbombo naturally posed for portraits with a serious expression – a contrast from how teenagers normally behave in front of the camera. But while her father’s attempt to marry her took its toll, he couldn’t take the last years of her childhood. I asked Mbombo if she had a favourite thing she had sewn. She dashed across the village and returned wearing this dress. This grove of palm trees is right behind her school. The choice has a hidden meaning in this photo – a walk to school or to fetch water can be fraught with danger for girls here.”

EGYPT

Since October 2023, more than 100,000 Palestinians have crossed the border from Gaza into Egypt in search of safety and stability. Save the Children provides it through our safe spaces, where kids who’ve been through so much can play, learn, and feel something like normal.

Outside, opportunities for creativity and fun are rare. But at our space near Cairo, refugee children are finding new focus. With funding from our partners Choose Love, award-winning photographer and Save the Children ambassador, Misan Harriman, hosted a workshop at our space, designed to help children learn new skills, make happy memories, and tell their story their way. The results are as beautiful as they are uplifting.

Shadi*, 13, who took part in the workshop:

“When I enter the child friendly space I feel as though I have arrived at my second home, a place that embraces me with love and safety. Here the colours are as bright as my dreams and the smiling faces seem to say, “You are always welcome.’”

At our safe spaces for children in Cairo, children put on a theatre performance to give their families a much-needed lift. They came up with original acts, devoted their time to rehearsals, and put on a spectacle of drama, music and dance – showing us how even in front of the darkest backdrops, the show must go on.

Photographer Anna Sass:

“During my time in Egypt, I was invited to a show that the children and volunteers had spent months preparing. Since fleeing Palestine, the participating children were all settled in Cairo, Egypt. They had been out of formal education, and the performance became a meaningful part of the psychosocial support we offer children. From volunteers to family members, the community rallied together to help create to help create an incredible performance.

“This image captures the excitement of a young girl peeking through the curtains as she watches her older peers on stage. To me, it reflects the joy and pride that filled the room. I felt honoured to witness an evening that radiated resilience and community, where I was welcomed with open arms. The space was alive with laughter, cheers, and celebration, as well as expressions of love for their homeland and hope for the future.”

Mariam’s* life has been torn apart by the violence in Gaza – arguably the defining issue of this year for children. Her father and other family members were killed. She lost her home, and fled to Egypt with her six children, leaving her husband behind. 

Save the Children is supporting the family with emergency cash, while two of her children attend our child friendly space in Cairo. It’s where her 13-year-old, Khaled*, took part in a photography workshop run by Save the Children and our ambassador, Misan Harriman, where Khaled* could get creative and tell his story, his way.

Photographer Misan Harriman:

“To see the children in Cairo thrive and learn is a real reminder of what has been taken from them, and why the work the team at Save the Children and the volunteers based in Egypt are doing is critical – making sure children feel seen, feel safe, feel listened to and can just be young.

“With children, trauma can manifest itself in many different ways, in different stages as they mature. And they need gentle and persistent observation and care by people who know what they're doing. I think many of them want to hold the camera so they can make sure that their legacy, their culture, will never, ever be erased.”

BANGLADESH

Amina* was just 14 when her dad died. With no money coming in, she had to drop out of school. It wasn’t long before people started suggesting marriage. Child marriage is common in Bangladesh: 52% of girls are affected by it, and both Amina’s sisters were married off young after their father fell ill.

Thankfully, Amina was attending Save the Children’s sexual and reproductive health sessions, where she learned about the risks of child marriage. “They explained how harmful it is,” she recalls. “I told my mother and she understood it’s not right to marry now.”

Photographer Shefali Rafiq:

“For me, this photograph is a reminder that even in challenging situations, there are moments of pure joy and innocence. We joined Amina* and her friends as they walked through the busy lanes, full of laughter. They wanted to show us a local street vendor who sold fuchka, deep-fried spheres filled with ingredients like spiced potatoes, chickpeas, and onions. They stood around the small cart, laughing, teasing one another, and urging me to try. They even fed me themselves. All I could do was be present in that moment with them.”

Part of Save the Children’s efforts to end child marriage in Bangladesh involves helping girls earn an income, as being financially independent makes it much easier for them to avoid marrying early.

We gave Amina* a goat – she now has four – which she’s rearing with her mum, Bulu*. She sold one of the goats to pay for her school entrance exam. She passed and is now getting her education and her childhood back on track. “If I had been married early, I’d be raising kids now. I wouldn’t go to college or hang out with friends. My life would be totally different.”

Photographer Shefali Rafiq:

“Amina’s story stayed with me long after I left Barishal. She was given a goat by Save the Children – a small but significant step that allowed her to earn enough money to pay her school exam fees and continue her education. When we visited Amina’s home, she proudly introduced us to her goats, and her mum. Mother and daughter didn’t speak much but exchanged smiles and laughs. There was a tenderness in their bond that didn’t need words. This photograph shows that quiet strength, love and resilience that often goes unnoticed, but holds families together.”

Shefali was the recipient of the Save the Children X Ian Parry Commission award, which supports young and emerging photographers as they embark on their career in the world of photojournalism. Over the past year, Shefali has been mentored by the photography team at Save the Children and completed her commission in Bangladesh.

UK

“I like doing Lily's hair actually. I find it really relaxing,” says dad Phil at their home in Tower Hamlets in London. “We're really close, me and Lily.”

The family first took part in a ‘play lab’ hosted by Save the Children, Lego, and St Luke’s Millwall. These workshops were co-designed by local families and included imaginative play and activities that develop children’s fine-motor skills.

Photographer Imogen Forte:

“This shot was taken in the afternoon. Lily was just back from school. Her hair had got a bit dishevelled and Phil offered to redo it, so it would look nice for the pictures. It ended up being a lovely moment to capture. I asked Lily to play with her toys at the table and tucked myself in front of the window. Lily was so lively and characterful – bouncing around, showing us her dances moves and drawings. The interaction between her and her dad was so sweet and natural that I just let them do their thing and captured it. She used him as a human climbing frame. Phil was happy to oblige.”

“It's tough, but we're happy,” says Shadia, holding her three-year-old son, Yuaan. Her little boy was born 16 weeks premature and spent the first eight months of his life in hospital. Then last year, Yuaan was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. He's currently non-verbal and has trouble walking and chewing.

When the manager at Yuaan’s nursery referred the family for an Early Years Grant from Save the Children, they were delighted. For the first time, Yuaan’s dad, Razzak, went to the supermarket to buy the food his son wants, as well as the highchair, clothes, and nappies they desperately needed.

Photographer Kate Stanworth:

“We met Shadia, Razzak and Yuaan in their flat in east London. After getting to know them, we went outside and Yuaan sprang to life, exploring his surroundings, rattling metal gates and laughing with joy. The family were very natural and open in front of the camera. They told us about their struggles with Yuaan’s health and the trauma they suffered after he was born only 24 weeks into Shadia’s pregnancy. It was a joyful moment when Razzak picked up Yuaan and held him in the air, expressing their close and tender relationship. Later Razzak told me, “He's my everything.’”

RWANDA

When Thérèse* learned her husband had died, she didn’t know she was pregnant with twins. She fled their home in the Democratic Republic of Congo, crossing the border into Rwanda’s Mahama camp, home to some 63,000 Congolese refugees. In June, Therese’s twins, Gloria* and Gildas*, were born safely in Save the Children’s medical centre. Their relieved mum describes them as “a blessing”.

Photographer Hugh Kinsella Cunningham:

“Mahama’s medical centre isn’t just a clinic – it’s a social hub. Aunties, grandmothers and sisters wait outside or deliver snacks, tea or reassuring words for their loved ones. There’s anxiety in the air, but also an amazing community spirit; third- or fourth-time mums reassure first-timers, nurses shuffle through their rounds as news of successful births filters from the other side of the curtains. It’s easy to forget almost everyone here is many miles from home.”

Every month, an average of 140 babies like Franck* are born in Mahama refugee camp. Until recently, if you needed surgery or specialist care you’d have to travel to Kirehe hospital, 22 miles away. So, in 2023, Save the Children renovated Mahama’s medical centre, adding ultrasound and all the equipment needed for conducting c-sections. Last year, the centre handled a total of 86,240 out-patient appointments and delivered 986 babies. But its future is uncertain: 70% of its funding is being cut by the US Government.

Photographer Hugh Kinsella Cunningham:

“Fatherhood is a difficult theme to visualise in refugee camps. Many families have been separated by violence, while social factors mean women do the vast majority of childcare. I also find fathers a little more awkward in front of the camera – so it was a tender, happy accident that Véronique's* husband snuck his hand in to arrange Franck’s hair. We spoke for a while about their displacement from DRC, and I recognised the name of their hometown. I visited it in the aftermath of some heavy fighting in 2023, saw it occupied by militias, houses burnt to the ground. The family’s shelter was in a quiet corner of Mahama camp, on a breezy hill overlooking the Kagera river, and I was happy they had been able to find a little peace.”

ETHIOPIA

Imran got her jabs at a Save the Children mobile outreach clinic in the Somali region of Ethiopia, which has some of the lowest vaccination rates in the world. In a huge collaborative effort with pharmaceutical company GSK, Save the Children is getting vaccines to children in some of the most remote communities on earth, saving thousands from cholera, measles and polio.

“A few years ago, some of my children had measles,” says Imran’s mum, Habiba. “It affected three of them, and they suffered a lot. I vaccinated them this time. We walked one hour to the mobile health clinic. I carried the child on my back.”

Photographer Maheder Haileselassie:

 “We met Imran and her family during a mobile vaccination session in a remote community. We travelled there by motorbike with health worker, Mowlid, along bumpy tracks, past herds of cattle and camels moving slowly across the landscape. When we arrived, Mowlid set up a small station in the shade, where nearly a hundred mothers were already waiting with their children. Some, including Imran’s family, had walked for more than an hour to reach the clinic. Unlike many of the other children, Imran wasn’t afraid. When her turn came, she stepped forward with a quiet confidence.”

Mowlid is a Save the Children-trained health worker in the Somali region of Ethiopia. In remote or nomadic communities with lots of unvaccinated children, diseases can spread frighteningly fast. And with no health facilities nearby, parents rely on mobile outreach teams for essential healthcare, including lifesaving vaccinations.

Mowlid travels hundreds of miles to reach underserved children like Lamia here – sometimes on foot, sometimes by motorbike, but always with lifesaving medicine.

Photographer Maheder Haileselassie:

“This photo was taken just moments before Lamia got her polio vaccine. As Mowlid prepared the dose, she looked up at him with a calm expression that stood out amid the busy environment. I liked how the light filtered through the tree above us, softening the scene and casting a gentle shadow that framed her face. Spending proper time with a family allows them to share their story and help us grasp the full complexity of their experience. And it ultimately leads to more honest and respectful images like this one.”

UK

Eipril was at home in Kharkiv when Russian troops surrounded the streets. Her mum, Oleksa, told her to grab their most important things and run to the train station. “So, she packed a bag of toys,” remembers Oleksa. “My first instinct was ‘We don’t need toys.’”

“When we finally got on the train there were lots of kids, and none of them had toys,” Oleksa told me. “Eipril opened her bag and gave a toy to every one of them. All the parents were in tears. It still gives me goosebumps."

Oleksa and Eipril were offered refuge in Margate. They arrived with nothing but each other. After meeting with other struggling mums in the area, Oleksa learned about Save the Children’s grants programme, and successfully applied for support to buy a bed, books, and warm clothes for Eipril. She describes it as a “blessing” and like “one big Christmas present”, which allowed them to turn their empty flat into a home.

Photographer Anna Gordon:

"It can be challenging to earn people’s trust and create a relaxed atmosphere so quickly, but Oleska and Eipril were so warm. Oleska showed us her artwork, Eipril her drawings and toys. A picture of their cat, who they had to leave behind in Kharkiv, was in pride of place on the wall. A sofa is a natural place for family portraits –it’s a natural frame and a place where people are used to being together. Theirs also benefited from natural light from a large window. I asked them to look at each other, and you can see the love and bond they have in that moment."

Save the Children teamed up with the Keep Rolling Project, which empowers young people through skateboarding and education, to host SkateJam in North London. Children like Cyrah took part in free skate lessons, art workshops, and a community skate competition, while learning about issues like gender equality, climate change, and mental health. We also collaborated on the film Climate Change the World, which united young skaters and videographers from the UK, Indonesia, Nepal and Bangladesh to call for urgent climate action.

Photographer Anna Sass:

“As I went to take a portrait of Cyrah, 7, who was taking part in one of the lessons with her two older sisters, she turned briefly toward the older skaters in the bowl and in that moment the words Keep Rolling stamped on the top of her helmet felt like everything the project stands for. Keep Rolling aims to provide a safe and inclusive space for young people from low-income backgrounds, with a focus on girls’ empowerment and on expanding representation across the sport. In that moment I felt that Cyrah embodied the impact of their mission.”

SYRIA

Majid* first visited Save the Children’s nutrition centre in August. He was 13 months old but weighed just 7kg. Our nutrition team diagnosed him with severe acute malnutrition.

Majid’s family live in a single room made of mud in North East Syria, a region gripped by humanitarian crisis caused by conflict. His dad, Hamoudi is the family’s sole breadwinner, earning around 25 Syrian pounds (£1.90) a day as a labourer. Following treatment, Majid’s weight is slowly increasing, to his dad’s relief. “It is a big deal that I have become a father,” he says. “I'm young, just 20 years old, still barely an adult, and yet now a man.”

Photographer Jonathan Hyams:

“It had been several years since I had visited Syria, in which time so much had changed. Following the fall of the former government, the country is experiencing relative calm after 14 years of conflict. However, what became clear very quickly was that families continue to face extreme hardship on a daily basis.

"I spent the week visiting Save the Children’s critical nutrition work across the northeast of the country, meeting families and health workers who are navigating the long, slow process of recovery.

“I spent a morning speaking with Hamoudi about the daily realities of trying to provide for his family as a labourer. He spoke beautifully about the joy and pride he feels in becoming a father, and the precious moments he and Majid spend together. Majid was an absolute joy to be around. Despite still recovering from malnutrition, he enthusiastically welcomed the new strangers in his home with a beaming smile and an engaged curiosity.”

VANUATU

Rising ocean temperatures and acidification have weakened Vanuatu’s coral ecosystems, threatening the marine life and food sources that local communities rely on.

But 15-year-old Margaret and her classmates are doing what they can to help the reefs recover. By planting coral, students like Margaret are protecting coastal communities, strengthening natural buffers against storms and erosion, and ultimately protecting their island’s future.

It’s part of the largest community-based climate project in the Pacific (the Vanuatu Community-based Climate Resilience Project, or VCCRP for short!) and is a partnership between Save the Children and the Government of Vanuatu.

Photographer Conor Ashleigh:

“What stands out most from this moment is the incredible group of teenagers – about a dozen girls and one boy from class 10 – having a blast, swimming, jumping, and enjoying their time out on the reef.

“Then, when it came time to replant the coral, it became something really special. There was this beautiful symmetry: the students framed around the metal wire, each hand-planting pieces of coral. It almost felt like a metaphor; they were rebuilding the reef, strengthening the island’s marine ecosystems, and, in a way, reinforcing their own future. The arrangement of their limbs mirrored the coral spread out across the wire, creating this harmonious, almost choreographed scene.

“I think they probably enjoyed swimming among the reef more than the actual planting, but it was amazing to just be there, a little like a fly on the wall. Once they got used to the drone, I could float around, photograph, and film them for about 20 minutes, capturing both their playfulness and the quiet focus of their work.”

The ocean helps Margaret clear her mind and let go of stress. “When I go to the ocean, when I swim, I feel like I am free from everything that I was thinking of,” she says. “That's where I go to escape… the place where I find happiness.”

But Margaret’s happy place is changing. “Climate change causes a lot of problems for us – cyclones, rising sea levels, droughts,” Margaret says. “For us to prevent it, we have to hold our hands together, to work together.” She’s doing just that by helping to restore her island’s coral reefs, keeping that feeling of freedom alive for generations to come.

Photographer Conor Ashleigh:

“Margaret had a quiet confidence about her. She wasn’t necessarily the loudest in class or the first to raise her hand, but when we had the chance to talk with her, it quickly became clear how self-assured she was.

“She had big dreams for the future and a close-knit social circle, particularly with her best friend Jennifer, who she lived with. One afternoon, we had the opportunity to photograph her after school doing something she loves—swimming. The two girls floated on their backs off the island, and behind them, the twin peaks of the neighbouring mountain mirrored their serene pose. For me, that photograph captured a quiet stillness.”

With the huge threats facing children this year, you’d be forgiven for looking away. But you didn’t. You refused to accept that it’s just sad or complicated. Instead, you stood up for what’s right.

If you supported Save the Children this year, whether you know it or not, in 2025 you fought for childhood –and we’re so grateful you did.

In 2026, the gloves are off. Will you join the fight? Donate today or find out more about the world’s biggest independent charity for children at savethechildren.org.uk

Photographer responses have been edited for clarity and length.

*Names changed to keep people safe