Orphaned Children

Kuleaen 2 is located in one of the poorest provinces in the country. Here, children and families have limited or no access to clean water, quality education, healthcare, proper nutrition and child protection.

In Mpalo, children and families have limited to no access to clean water, quality education, healthcare, proper nutrition and child protection.

Sioma is located in the Western Province of Zambia. It is made up of dense woodlands, riparian forests, shallow wetlands, and settlements.

76.7% of the population in Sioma live in poverty with lack of access to basic needs, income and employment opportunities. Majority of the population are small-scale farmers and fishermen. However, the area is often affected by drought and floods resulting in loss of livelihood. However, the area is often affected by drought and floods resulting in loss of livelihood. 

School infrastructure and teaching resources are lacking resulting in low quality education for children. There is overcrowding in classes, high teacher-pupil ratio. Pupils have to learn under trees and sit on the floor in the classrooms. Children have to walk long distances to schools. Thus, about 25% of children between 7 and 9 years are not attending school due to parents’ concerns for their children’s safety.

Healthcare access is another major challenge, as the people in the community often have to travel long distances—up to 29 km—to reach healthcare services, due to insufficient health centers, staff, and equipment.

In Sioma AP, only 49% of households have access to a clean and safe water supply. Many people rely on streams and shallow wells for water. However, these water sources are contaminated. Families are susceptible to water-borne diseases due to contaminated water sources and open defecation.

Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines and lies in the heart of the Central Visayas. Bohol has experienced widespread poverty due to the combined effects of post-pandemic, increased population, over-exploitation of the land and marine resources, typhoons and natural disasters. Children and families are thus exposed to vulnerabilities including the lack of access to quality education, healthcare and limited livelihood opportunities.

The number one cause of illness among children in Bohol is diarrhea and gastroenteritis due to the lack of access to basic safe water supply. 10% of Bohol households also have no sanitary toilet facilities.

While the main source of income is farming, farmers in Bohol face challenges such as lack of access to credit, inadequate infrastructure, and low prices for their produce. Fishermen also face challenges such as overfishing, competition, and the impact of climate change. Low fish catch, low crop yield, and rising costs make it hard for families to make a living. This leads to children dropping out of school as parents prioritise their children's labour contributions to the household over their education, especially where economic livelihood is in dire need. 

The Covid-19 pandemic, coupled by Typhoon Rai, caused numerous school closings and damages, resulting in more than 50% of learners across Grade 1 to 10 having reading difficulties, aggravating Bohol's issue of learning poverty.

Sioma is located in the Western Province of Zambia. It is made up of dense woodlands, riparian forests, shallow wetlands, and settlements.

76.7% of the population in Sioma live in poverty with lack of access to basic needs, income and employment opportunities. Majority of the population are small-scale farmers and fishermen. However, the area is often affected by drought and floods resulting in loss of livelihood. However, the area is often affected by drought and floods resulting in loss of livelihood. 

School infrastructure and teaching resources are lacking resulting in low quality education for children. There is overcrowding in classes, high teacher-pupil ratio. Pupils have to learn under trees and sit on the floor in the classrooms. Children have to walk long distances to schools. Thus, about 25% of children between 7 and 9 years are not attending school due to parents’ concerns for their children’s safety.

Healthcare access is another major challenge, as the people in the community often have to travel long distances—up to 29 km—to reach healthcare services, due to insufficient health centers, staff, and equipment.

In Sioma AP, only 49% of households have access to a clean and safe water supply. Many people rely on streams and shallow wells for water. However, these water sources are contaminated. Families are susceptible to water-borne diseases due to contaminated water sources and open defecation.

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.