Orphaned Children

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.

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

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. 

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. 

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.

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.