Health is the bedrock of people’s livelihoods and well-being. Here are 10 facts about how health shapes your sponsored child’s ability to learn, grow and break the cycle of poverty.

Sambath and her family had to face the storms of hunger and malnutrition alone. But everything changed with the help of World Vision.

Ei, a young girl in a village, witnesses the struggles of children facing hunger and a lack of education. Through support from World Vision, her family learns financial management, receives food aid, and rebuilds their lives. Ei dreams of becoming a doctor to help others in similar situations.

Meeting up with a “stranger” whom I have known for the past 8 years was a great highlight for this trip, being able to see him and have a face-to-face interaction to know more about him. During game time, I saw his father watching him playing with lots of smiles. Despite disrupting his work schedule and traveling this far for this meetup, I sensed lots of warmth from them. This is something that we may not be able to see nowadays. Will remember this trip and the things I’ve seen for a really long time. 

This trip gave me invaluable insights into the remarkable initiatives by World Vision in Sindhuli East. It was a life-enriching experience filled with inspirational encounters and a renewed sense of hope for the community's future. Although the key challenges have not been fully overcome, the initiatives in place are making a positive difference. 

Trapped at home while her mother Desi went out to work each day because she has a disability, Heda was just nine when the first man came into the house and raped her. Desi is determined to protect Heda, who is now 14, and to do what she can to help make sure no other children ever live through the same horror. She has joined forces with the World Vision to share her story with leaders in their community, hoping to inspire them to build a stronger community that protects children and understands children’s rights.

Having a sponsor meant Monika, an 18-year-old from a rural community in Bangladesh, had the knowledge, tools and social support resources to stand up to child marriage. Not only has she avoided becoming a bride herself, but she is helping countless other girls facing a similar fate.

Leon, a 12-year-old girl living in Kapeni, southern Malawi, faces immense challenges due to droughts, floods and global economic pressures, which have taken a heavy toll on her family's income and access to food. Such natural disasters, and the ensuing economic pressures, pose a particular threat to women and girls, who are more likely to miss school to take care of domestic responsibilities, suffer from domestic violence, experience child marriage and sexual assault, and suffer from intimate partner violence.