Leona Lewis: As a mother, I look at the world and shudder

AS a motherAnd as someone who has always cared deeply about the safety of children, this is especially hard for me to accept this year. It’s easy to feel helpless in the face of a constant news cycle, flooding our social feeds with images from places like ukraine, Sudan And Gaza,

But through my work this year save the ChildrenI have learned not only about the scale of the challenges facing struggling children, but also about the incredible, innovative work going on across the UK to address them. So instead of helplessness, I feel a cautious sense of hope.

This does not mean that the dangers that children face are not great. A new report from Save the Children reveals something heartbreaking and difficult to understand: Explosive weapons are now killing children On a scale the world has never seen before.

not so long ago, most Children died of hunger in the war zone Or illness. Today that picture has changed. more than 60 percent Children killed or injured in the conflict are now victims of bombs, missiles and dronesBombs and drones are hitting the very places that should keep children safe – their schools, homes and hospitals, The places where children sleep, learn and play are coming under missile attack and children and their families are paying the heaviest price,

This seems like a sad move for the kids. never have a child exposed to the horrors of war Or conflict has robbed them of their childhood – yet explosive attacks are now destroying young lives at unprecedented levels.

Whenever I see news of another deadly attack against children, I am overwhelmed and question how things got to this point. How did we allow the world to become so unsafe for its youngest and most vulnerable? I care about the future we are creating for the next generation. And when I think of parents who have lost children in the conflict, I cannot understand the depth of their grief.

Yet I still hold on to hope – because hope is what drives me to speak up for children who cannot speak for themselves. Now more than ever, they need us to stay strong, to keep striving for change and to stand with them when they have no one else.

I saw that hope in action when I visited earlier this year Research Center at Imperial College LondonThere, dedicated doctors and engineers are developing life-saving innovations and specialized prosthetics for young survivors of explosions and natural disasters – work made possible thanks to an unprecedented partnership with Save the Children,

I was saddened to learn that many children do not survive blast injuries and that even when they do survive, the prostheses they are given often fail to meet their needs. Research on how to best treat children’s specific injuries is years behind where it should be. Yet prosthetics designed for growing, rapidly changing bodies are essential — not just for mobility, but for access to education, health care, and sports — the same things that allow a child to grow, thrive, and dream.

What I saw at Imperial gives me hope. This research is beginning to change the picture, giving children not only a chance to move around freely and reconnect with friends, but also a chance to reimagine the future. From motion-capture treadmills with playful, kid-friendly graphics to 3D printers creating custom, lightweight prosthetics, these innovations are helping kids walk, run, and explore once again.

I also spoke to Save the Children staff about what daily life is really like for children in conflict. I heard devastating stories of families who have lost everything, and children so traumatized by the violence that they start screaming from nightmares. But I also heard stories of extraordinary resilience – like that of a nine-year-old girl in Gaza who survived shrapnel injuries that damaged part of her skull. Despite everything she has endured, she dreams of becoming a teacher so that one day she can help rebuild her community.

When children facing the worst refuse to give up hope, we can’t give up either. Seeing firsthand how these innovations are helping young survivors regain mobility, confidence, and happiness was a powerful reminder of what is possible when we lead with compassion and refuse to look away. I’m proud to support this vital work – which relies on public generosity to continue – and am more determined than ever to speak out wherever possible. The safety of children must always be our starting point, no matter where they are in the world.

Leona Lewis is a singer and ambassador for Save the Children UK