Longest Waiting Children

Sambour, Cambodia, is located in Kratie province, northeast of the country. The majority of the population in Sambour rely on farming, but as the district is prone to high occurrences of floods and droughts, livelihoods are often affected when crops are destroyed as a result. Children also suffer from domestic violence, abuse and neglect due to the lack of awareness among parents. While attaining an education is also a challenge for children due to the community's location, poor school infrastructure and lack of quality education. 

Wazirpur, Bangladesh is a district located in the Southern region of Bangladesh, about 114km away from Dhaka. The majority of the population are limited to labour-intensive and low-income occupations such as farmers, daily labourers or petty traders. As the district is also prone to earthquakes, water logging and arsenic poisoning, economic livelihood opportunities are further restricted. The prevalence of child labour and child marriage also contribute to high drop-out rates in school - limiting the opportunities for future growth and development.

In Funyula, 64% of the population lives in absolute poverty and children are also at severe risk of abuse and exploitation from negligence, inadequate protection and education. 

World Vision has been involved with Sri Lanka’s tea estate workers for many years and Lindula AP is an extension of this work. Tea plantation workers have been marginalised in Sri Lanka for a very long time. Originally brought in from South India over 150 years ago, they were eventually exploited for work and isolated from the rest of the country. World Vision’s interventions focus on the well-being of children to ensure that their health, nutrition, education and social needs are met.

In Lindula AP, the majority of the people work as pickers and labourers in the tea estates. They are paid daily, and when work is not available, they face a severe shortage of income.

Also, children lack proper education, and 45% of the population under 12 years old are illiterate. This is due to long travel distances, poor transport facilities and lack of finances for education resulting in a dropout rate of 14.5%, almost 10 times the national average.

In terms of healthcare and child protection challenges, 74% of people live in dismal housing. Whole families live in a single room that is linked to others to form a “line house”. There is little ventilation, and no privacy, and conditions are often unsanitary. Only 67.1% of households have their own latrines and the remaining families share common latrines or defecate in open areas.

World Vision started an AP in 2014 after a thorough assessment of Ende in 2012. Measured against standard indicators of economic development needs, Ende emerged as an area where the vulnerability of children needed to be urgently addressed. 

In Ende, traditional attitudes towards children are harsh and unsympathetic. They are viewed as free labour and are often denied their right to study so that they can work to supplement the family income. Cases of physical and sexual abuse are not taken seriously and are unreported or left unsolved, affecting and scarring children emotionally and mentally. 

In terms of healthcare concerns, the main issues that compromise the health of children are the lack of access to clean water, the prevalence of unhygienic behaviours and poor sanitation systems. Approximately 40% of the community practices open defecation as there are no proper toilets. 

Also, Ende's economic development falls behind national statistics. Their main source of income is agriculture but the productivity of existing farming methods is low due to a lack of understanding, poor management, pests and diseases. 

World Vision started an AP in 2014 after a thorough assessment of Ende in 2012. Measured against standard indicators of economic development needs, Ende emerged as an area where the vulnerability of children needed to be urgently addressed. 

In Ende, traditional attitudes towards children are harsh and unsympathetic. They are viewed as free labour and are often denied their right to study so that they can work to supplement the family income. Cases of physical and sexual abuse are not taken seriously and are unreported or left unsolved, affecting and scarring children emotionally and mentally. 

In terms of healthcare concerns, the main issues that compromise the health of children are the lack of access to clean water, the prevalence of unhygienic behaviours and poor sanitation systems. Approximately 40% of the community practices open defecation as there are no proper toilets. 

Also, Ende's economic development falls behind national statistics. Their main source of income is agriculture but the productivity of existing farming methods is low due to a lack of understanding, poor management, pests and diseases.