The pandemic and political unrest in his country turned his life upside down. But Child Sponsorship helped him pull through, and now 16-year-old Doe is inspired to chase his dream to help children and individuals in his community.

 

13-years old May is a registered child of World Vision Myanmar. She was adopted by her uncle and aunt because of her mother's poor health since she was young. Due to the country's political situation and the COVID-19 pandemic, her family completely lost their job, and is struggling to find food and continue her education.

 

The long-running conflict in this corner of South East Asia pops up occasionally in the news, but for the children living in Myanmar, it’s a daily reality that’s shaping their future. These 5 key numbers give a snapshot of what’s happening in Myanmar and how child sponsors are a lifeline to hope.

For many South Sudanese refugees living in Sudan, a conflict forced them to leave their homes. Now, it is again because of conflict that has left them with no choice but to return. The recent crisis in Sudan has been forcing many people to leave their homes for safer places to live. For 13-year-old Tina, returning to South Sudan to flee from the ongoing conflict in Sudan brought back painful memories. It was like reliving a nightmare that she wished she never had.

The crisis in Sudan is driving South Sudanese refugees living in the country to return home, only to find themselves lost in troubled borders with no homes to return to and constantly living in fear of the unknowns. When we met, Ajang, 35, she was struggling bare-handed to set up a makeshift tent in the transit camp in Renk, a county in South Sudan’s Upper Nile region where most of the arrivals – Sudanese refugees and South Sudanese returnees – enter through one of South Sudan’s border points.

“When I heard about the closure of schools, I felt as if the world became dark on me because [the doors to] education, school and the future were closed for us,” says Yalda.* “And I thought I’ll not be able to follow my dream anymore.” In March 2022, Yalda, 18, arrived at school in Afghanistan after the winter holiday, excited to start her final year of high school. But instead, she was told to go home, and that she was not allowed in school. This was devastating for her. Not only has she been unable to complete her final year, It means her future is also on hold, as she cannot start university until her high education is completed.

Solang had been moving between Cambodian provinces with her parents for half her life. Instead of attending education, Solang had to work for a Chinese factory to support her family. However, all that changed when World Vision reached out to her family. Solang can now stay in her village and go to school, and study hard to work towards her aspirations. 

Apul had been displaced by conflict in South Sudan for years. When she was three, she had barely started preschool before she had to move away for her safety. As the conflict eases, Apul, now ten, finally has the chance to return to school again. Apul is happy to enjoy classes in temporary learning spaces, which create a conducive environment for her to learn in the midst of a war-torn nation. 

Too famished to concentrate, eight-year-old Moses shed tears in class. One of the many children suffering from drought in Kenya, he had to go for long hours without food and was overwhelmed by hunger pangs. Thankfully, his tears of hunger turned into showers of blessing after his story was featured on television, and World Vision intervened to change his life.