The post Spring 2026 magazine appeared first on World Vision.

Simone Mane is the national director of World Vision in Sudan. He shares a critical update on the escalating situation in the country.

Malnourished children in Sudan’s Darfur region will become nearly unreachable as the four-month rainy season begins in June. Humanitarian aid routes into Darfur from Chad turn impassable, as roads dissolve into flooded wadis and thick, wheel-sucking “black cotton” mud, cutting off access to the care and nutrition children urgently need.

As Sudan enters its fourth year of conflict, the country is at a breaking point. More than 12 million people have fled violence, agricultural production is collapsing, and funding shortages are forcing many agencies to leave or cut operations.

Across the nation, tens of millions of Sudanese are struggling to survive after fleeing their communities to camps in remote and inhospitable locations, and in the mountains, without any belongings and no access to water or food.

Risk of starvation among children

Without urgent action, Sudan’s most vulnerable people, especially malnourished children, face a growing risk of starvation. Sustained humanitarian access, expanded food assistance, and innovative delivery methods are critical to preventing widespread loss of life.

More than 10 million people are experiencing extreme or severe levels of food insecurity, uncertain of where their next meal is coming from. Many families rely on already-stretched host communities, search for wild food, or wait for infrequent aid deliveries of wheat, millet, and pulses such as lentils, peas, and beans that must travel over 1,677 miles from Cameroon’s port of Douala, into Chad, and then across the border into Darfur, Sudan.

In places like the mountainous region of Jabal Marra in western Sudan, women who fled the recent brutal siege of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, say they have not had food in more than four months and are now feeding their children one or, at most, two meagre meals of sorghum a day. This is the hot season before the rains come in June, when temperatures reach 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and almost nothing grows.

An estimated 800,000 children — most of them in the Darfur and Kordofan regions — are at immediate risk of death without urgent nutritional support. As the rainy season begins, the risk of disease outbreaks, including cholera, typhoid, mosquito-borne malaria, and diarrheal illnesses, will further increase, particularly among the already malnourished children.

A complex response to help the most vulnerable

Expanded humanitarian access during the rainy season will be critical to reach those most in need. This includes ensuring safe passage for aid, protecting supply routes, and enabling pre-positioning of food before roads become inaccessible. Without storage capacity, it becomes much harder to sustain distributions throughout the rainy months.

At least 168,000 tons of food is required to address the hunger crisis over the coming months. Logistical challenges mean that only supplies already in transit are likely to reach some of the affected areas in time. Aside from humanitarian aid, the Chad-Sudan border is closed to normal trade due to drone strikes inside Chad.

Air delivery of food remains a last resort option. The Ilyushin Il-76 cargo planes typically carry only up to 50 tons of food, enough to feed up to 5,000 people for a month on reduced rations, far short of what is needed at this scale.

Sachets of Ready-to-Use-Therapeutic Food (RUTF) — a high-energy peanut paste for children at extreme risk of death — could be parachuted in for children on the brink of death. But this is specialized therapeutic food and would need to be collected at designated drop zones by aid workers to ensure it reaches those managing the therapeutic feeding centers. If the armed groups opened their airports to allow humanitarian food flights in, that would be even better.

In a region so cut off, another critical option is digital cash assistance. This relies on satellite-based connectivity, which in many areas has replaced damaged mobile networks. These connections have become a lifeline, allowing people to contact relatives, access support, and get digital cash transfers.

Humanitarian agencies can also use these systems to transfer funds to those most in need through mobile applications. Sudan’s most malnourished typically don’t have mobile phones, so the aid agency works through trusted financial agents, who convert digital funds into cash and distribute it to registered families.

Ultimately, saving lives at this scale will require multiple approaches, rapidly expanded and focused on those most at risk.

Humanitarian agencies can’t move enough food by road before the rains. Airdrops, especially of lifesaving therapeutic food, can help sustain the most vulnerable children and mothers. At the same time, digital cash assistance can support local markets and extend reach into inaccessible areas.

Ensuring sustained humanitarian access and safe passage for aid remains one of the most significant challenges.

Funding is another major constraint. The World Food Programme supports over 4 million people each month but has been forced to reduce rations due to funding shortfalls. Approximately 700 million is urgently needed to maintain food assistance.

World Vision continues to provide lifesaving support to the most severely malnourished children, including therapeutic feeding, but we need to keep the supplies flowing.

The U.N. says overall, Sudan needs nearly $3 billion to deliver humanitarian services to 20.4 million people in need. Only 16.1% has been pledged so far.

The post Sudan hunger crisis: Rainy season threatens to cut off lifesaving aid appeared first on World Vision.

The post Building resilient communities by improving lives of women and girls appeared first on World Vision.

The post 12 top disasters of 2025 appeared first on World Vision.

Children deserve to grow up in safety and love. But in some parts of the world, danger shadows every moment of childhood. These are not just risky places for travelers — they’re home to millions of children who wake up each day surrounded by war, hunger, and instability.

Below, we highlight 10 of the most dangerous places for children today, along with their stories of courage and resilience. Throughout our 75 years of work, we’ve seen one truth in the hardest places to be a child: danger is constant — but so is hope.

The top 10 most dangerous places

Click a country name to go directly to its section. In alphabetical order:

• Afghanistan
• Central African Republic
• Colombia
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Gaza and the West Bank
• Haiti
• Myanmar
• Sudan
• Syria
• Yemen

Frequently asked questions

• What is the most dangerous country for children in 2025?
• Why are these countries dangerous for children?
• How does World Vision help children in conflict zones?
• How can I help children living in the world’s most dangerous places?

Afghanistan

Children and families in Afghanistan face daily life marked by hunger and hidden dangers. These challenges include:

• Political instability
• Limited access to healthcare, education, and employment
• Severe restrictions on women’s rights
• Malnutrition and widespread drought
• Unexploded weapons ordnance threatening lives

“We had no idea that land was dangerous. These are lands our families have farmed for generations. Our children played there all the time. No one warned us,” said Sharafuddin, whose sons, 12-year-old Salahuddin and 10-year-old Najmuddin, were killed by a mine while playing on their family farm in May 2025.

“I had so many hopes for them. In one moment, everything collapsed,” says Sharafuddin.

Afghanistan is one of the most heavily mine-contaminated countries in the world.

“The risk is real. Our teams have unknowingly driven over UXOs [Unexploded Explosive Ordnance] before, thankfully, without incident. But with no comprehensive maps or warning systems in place, the threat is everywhere,” said Hayatullah Tayeeq, World Vision’s zonal manager in Badghis, Afghanistan. “It hasn’t stopped us from delivering aid, but it adds an invisible layer of danger to every field visit.”

BACK TO LIST OF COUNTRIES

Central African Republic (CAR)

The Central African Republic has faced decades of violent uprisings and broken peace deals. Since 2013, ongoing conflict and instability have displaced millions of people. The ongoing challenges include:

• Protracted conflict has led to widespread violence, insecurity, and displacement.
• Approximately 79% of the population lives in extreme poverty.
• Grave violations against children are among the highest in the world, including:
  • Recruitment and use by armed groups
  • Abduction
  • Sexual violence
• One of the world’s highest child mortality rates due to preventable diseases, hunger, and lack of healthcare.

Children like Richard (pictured above) in the CAR face staggering challenges, including one of the highest child mortality rates in the world. In displacement camps, their most urgent needs are food, water, and shelter. But as settlements become more established, recovery begins — and so does education, often under tarps or in makeshift classrooms.

That’s when a birth certificate becomes crucial.

“I’m happy to receive the birth certificate because it helps me to be recognized. To be someone,” said Richard.

Without legal documentation, children cannot take national exams, graduate from school, or obtain an ID or passport. Birth certificates open doors to opportunity — and affirm a child’s identity and future.

“The importance of a birth certificate is that it allows you to take an exam, like the B.E.C., or earn a diploma, or get a passport. It affirms who I am,” he said.

BACK TO LIST OF COUNTRIES

Colombia

As the primary host country for Venezuelan refugees and migrants, Colombia has become one of the most dangerous places for children affected by the regional migration crisis. Instead of finding safety there, many face new dangers:

• Recruitment by armed groups
• Gender-based violence and sexual exploitation
• Trafficking and family separation
• Lack of access to education, healthcare, and shelter
• Psychological trauma from violence and displacement

Armed conflict, violence, displacement, and humanitarian gaps have created multiple layers of risk, particularly in border and conflict-affected regions like Catatumbo.

More than 2.8 million Venezuelans, including 800,000 children, are living in Colombia. Children describe life in Colombia’s conflict zones as terrifying. Aime, a 14-year-old from Venezuela, told UNICEF, “We can’t leave our houses after 9 p.m. We can’t even go to the store because of the fear that they’ll take us away or they will recruit us. Young people are taken, without understanding what they are going to do to them. They are taken by force.”

“Entire families, including children and adolescents, have been forced to leave their homes in search of refuge in other parts of the country and at the border with Venezuela,” said Peter Gape, national director for World Vision in Colombia and Venezuela. “We ask for your prayers for those suffering from this crisis, for our team working tirelessly to provide humanitarian aid, and for a prompt resolution that brings peace and hope to the affected communities.”

BACK TO LIST OF COUNTRIES

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

In the eastern DRC, spikes in violence are a continual threat, especially against children. The United Nations reports that children are being recruited and armed, which is a grave violation of international law. In South Kivu, thousands have been displaced, and millions of children face increased risks of exploitation, trauma, hunger, and disease outbreaks. The ongoing challenges include:

• Over 15 million children live in instability.
• A deadly cholera epidemic has spread across six provinces, with more than 18,000 cases and 364 deaths reported since January 2025.
• Flooding and unsafe water increase the threat of illness
• In mining provinces like Lualaba and Haut-Katanga, child labor is widespread. Tens of thousands of children work in cobalt and copper extraction.

In towns like Kakanda, children as young as 6 work to support their families by selling food on the streets, carrying water, or caring for younger siblings. Children like the young girl shown above dig through toxic rubble with their bare hands, hoping to earn enough for a meal. Without safety gear, they risk injury, illness, or even death. Eleven-year-old Chantal* (not pictured) began working in the mines at age 9 after her father died. “I haven’t been to school in three months,” says Chantal*, who cooks and cleans for her family instead of attending class. “Sometimes I was so tired I’d fall asleep on the ground, right among the rocks,” she says.

Though Congolese law prohibits underage labor in mining, extreme poverty forces many families to rely on income from their children. Most earn less than $2 a day.

*Names changed to protect identity

BACK TO LIST OF COUNTRIES

Gaza and the West Bank

Children in Gaza face unparalleled hardships, with no safe place to seek refuge amid a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Movement restrictions and displacements are causing a spiraling economic crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, as families are unable to harvest crops and have depleted their savings. Many people in the West Bank are experiencing acute food insecurity, with nearly half a million facing severe hunger. Since January 2025, an escalation of armed violence has devastated cities across the northern West Bank, displacing over 40,000 people, destroying homes, and forcing dozens of schools to close. The ongoing challenges include:

• Death and injury from armed conflict, famine conditions, severe malnutrition, and starvation.
• Access to food, clean water, and medical care is severely limited.
• Trauma and protection risks rise for children, especially those separated from their families.

World Vision currently operates in the West Bank and broader Middle East region, providing emergency humanitarian aid and support.

Suha, a 30-year-old mother from the Tulkarem Refugee Camp in the northern West Bank, never imagined she would be uprooted from her home with nothing but a few clothes for her daughter.

“We had a routine, a home, and hope,” she says. But when her family was ordered to leave, they had minutes to pack. Later, when Suha and her husband returned to retrieve their belongings, they were shot at. “We had to run for our lives. We left everything behind in the street.”

Suha, her husband, and daughter first found shelter in an overcrowded family home before moving in with her parents. Her husband is now unemployed, and the family relies entirely on humanitarian aid.

“It breaks our hearts,” Suha says. “We feel ashamed to ask for help, but we have no other choice.”

Suha has not yet been able to re-enroll her daughter in kindergarten due to financial hardship. The family’s future remains uncertain.

BACK TO LIST OF COUNTRIES

Haiti

Horrific violence, political collapse, and natural disasters, including Hurricane Melissa in late October 2025, have pushed Haiti into a free fall. Armed groups control large parts of the capital, cutting families off from food and medical care. The major challenges include:

• Over 5 million people need humanitarian assistance.
• Over 1 million people face emergency levels of food insecurity.
• Gang violence, kidnappings, and sexual violence are widespread.
• Earthquakes and extreme storms further destabilize vulnerable communities.

Wista, a small business owner, fled with her 5-year-old daughter, Judenie (both pictured above), after gangs threatened to overrun their community. “I had no choice but to leave everything behind,” Wista said. Their journey to safety involved crossing rivers, accidents, and days on foot.

“The little girl walked and walked for miles, but she found the strength in God to continue. I was in pain. We crossed rivers on a small canoe,” Wista said. They traveled on motorcycles that crashed into rocks. “I wanted to lie down in the bushes and sleep forever. But I kept thinking of my daughter and the need to protect her.”

At a shelter, Wista was too weak to eat or drink. Judenie, missing her school and friends, said quietly, “I was scared and tired. But Mama said we have to move.” “

Though they escaped the violence, the trauma remains. Wista reflected, “All I wanted was to protect my daughter and survive. But I never imagined how hard the road would be.”

BACK TO LIST OF COUNTRIES

Myanmar

Children in Myanmar are experiencing a deepening humanitarian crisis marked by displacement, violence, and hunger. The situation has been exacerbated by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on March 28, 2025, near Mandalay and Sagaing, causing widespread destruction. The major challenges include:

• More than 3,100 people have died, and over 4,800 are injured.
• Thousands of homes, schools, hospitals, roads, and bridges have been damaged or destroyed, cutting off access to essential services. 
• Food insecurity, already high, has worsened as the quake further restricted access to food and clean water.
• Natural disasters, including flooding and cyclones, continue to challenge communities, compounding risks during crises.

Children like Alinka had their lives turned upside down in seconds.

“I was playing when the earthquake hit,” says Alinka from one of the hardest-hit areas near Mandalay. The walls shook violently, and as she clung to a door, it collapsed on her. Alinka broke her leg and needed surgery to recover.

About 50 homes in their village were destroyed, along with the school, the local monastery, and the community water supply. Families have slept outside, fearful of aftershocks.

The disaster has also disrupted livelihoods. Alinka’s family, who sell goods in the market, are struggling with rising prices and damaged roads.

“With monsoon season around the corner, the threat of diseases like diarrhea and dengue is growing fast. Children’s lives are still at risk. We need your help now more than ever to ensure the most vulnerable children are not forgotten,” said Dr. Kyi Minn, World Vision’s national director in Myanmar.

BACK TO LIST OF COUNTRIES

Sudan

Conflict has engulfed Sudan since April 2023, forcing millions from their homes and plunging the country into a deepening humanitarian crisis. The challenges include:

• An estimated 14.6 million people fled their communities — the world’s largest displacement crisis
• Widespread violence, including sexual violence against women and girls
• Acute hunger affecting over 17 million people
• Deadly cholera outbreak spreading across 17 of 18 states

Conflict has forced families to flee with little more than the clothes on their backs. In Port Sudan, World Vision supports displaced communities with essentials like access to clean water, shelter kits, psychosocial support, and more. But insecurity continues to limit humanitarian access, even as a deadly cholera outbreak spreads, endangering already vulnerable children and families.

Sinein and his mother, Assanea, are the only survivors of their family after fleeing conflict in Sudan.

“I lost my children and my husband, who was my backbone. …” Assanea said. After seeking safety in Chad, they face the heartbreak of starting over. “If I found a secure place to stay, that is enough for me. I can’t go home — there’s no one and nothing there for me.”

BACK TO LIST OF COUNTRIES

Syria

Syria remains one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a child — not only because of violence, but because of the invisible, long-lasting wounds of displacement and trauma. The challenges include:

• More than 14 years of war and widespread displacement.
• Devastating earthquakes in 2023 destroyed homes, schools, and healthcare centers.
• Return of refugees to a conflict-ridden country.
• Malnutrition and water scarcity.
• Protection threats: exploitation, abuse, and loss of education.

In early 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck both Syria and Turkey (officially the Republic of Türkiye), affecting nearly 9 million people who had already been impacted by war and displacement. In southern Türkiye, near the Syrian border, thousands of Syrian refugees, many fleeing conflict for over a decade, lived through destruction once more.

Sara (pictured above) is among those affected by displacement. The Syrian teen has lived in Şanlıurfa, Turkey, for 13 years and has experienced many struggles of displacement. She recalled one fire that swept through her last displacement camp. “I still remember how it roared through container by container.… That day was so hard.”

Through initiatives like the LIFT Project, World Vision is helping young survivors like Sara rebuild their inner worlds and rediscover joy, connection, and hope.

Sara stepped into the role of a facilitator on April 23, 2025, painting children’s faces and spreading smiles. “I want to go back to school next year and become a doctor — a child doctor — to help kids like me everywhere,” she said.

BACK TO LIST OF COUNTRIES

Yemen

Nearly a decade of conflict. Yemen’s children face one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, marked by hunger, disease, and collapsing health systems. The challenges include:

• Ongoing airstrikes and conflict continue to endanger lives.
• Four out of 5 children need humanitarian assistance.
• 3.2 million children are out of school and at risk of exploitation.
• Millions of people lack access to safe water and sanitation.

Hamdi, a nurse at a World Vision–supported clinic in Al Milah District, Lahj Governorate, says poverty is the No. 1 enemy. Many families must skip meals, and a lack of nutrition knowledge also contributes to child malnutrition, Hamdi said.

Since World Vision and partner organization Medair began their outreach, community health has improved. Parents are learning to spot and treat malnutrition early, helping turn despair into hope.

Hadi, the clinic manager, added: “With the support of World Vision and Medair, the clinic became a vital hub for food and medical assistance.”

BACK TO LIST OF COUNTRIES

Frequently asked questions

What is the most dangerous country for children in 2025?

While all 10 countries listed face extreme threats, Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen are experiencing some of the worst humanitarian conditions, including severe hunger, displacement, and the collapse of essential services.

BACK TO FAQs

Why are these countries dangerous for children?

These countries are marked by armed conflict, forced displacement, hunger, disease outbreaks, and limited access to education and protection. Children are at risk of recruitment by armed groups, trafficking, malnutrition, and even death.

BACK TO FAQs

How does World Vision help children in conflict zones?

World Vision works in many of the world’s most fragile countries to provide lifesaving assistance, including access to clean water, nutritious food, healthcare, psychosocial support, and child protection programs.

BACK TO FAQs

How can I help children living in the world’s most dangerous places?

You can support children in crisis by:

• Giving: Your gift can deliver hope and practical help to children and families when disasters and conflict strike in the most dangerous places.
• Sponsoring a child: Help equip a child, their family, and community for a brighter future. Sponsorship helps meet urgent needs today — and supports lasting empowerment through physical and spiritual resources.

BACK TO FAQs

*The following list was compiled using the latest data from humanitarian agencies and global monitoring organizations, including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Programme (WFP). World Vision’s program insights and response updates from 2023 to 2025 also informed the selection. Countries were chosen based on the severity of threats facing children, including conflict, displacement, hunger, disease outbreaks, and barriers to education and protection. While this list highlights urgent but less-publicized crises, World Vision’s disaster relief efforts in major emergencies — including the Middle East crisis, war in Ukraine, and the Venezuela crisis — continue unabated.

The post Top 10 most dangerous places in the world to be a child appeared first on World Vision.

The post Winter 2025 magazine appeared first on World Vision.

Extreme poverty means more than going without. It means living without the basics every human needs to survive — like clean water, nutritious food, healthcare, and education. But at its core, poverty is more than a material lack of resources. It’s about lost potential and the difficult choices no one should ever have to make.

A child may skip meals so that their siblings can eat. Mothers and daughters may walk for hours to find water, knowing the girls may miss school that day. Families are forced to choose between survival and safety, and between meeting urgent needs and holding on to hope for a better future.

But it doesn’t have to stay this way.

Learn more about extreme poverty and solutions that bring lasting change:

• What is extreme poverty, and how is it defined?
• What are the causes of extreme poverty?
• Who is most affected by extreme poverty?
• How does extreme poverty affect children?
• Is extreme poverty getting worse or better?
• What are the most effective solutions to end extreme poverty?
• Can faith make a difference in development work?
• What makes World Vision different in tackling extreme poverty?
• Breaking the poverty cycle: Stories of change
• How can I help end extreme poverty?

What is extreme poverty, and how is it defined?

When we talk about extreme poverty in the world, we’re using the standard set by the World Bank: surviving on less than $3.00 each day. For nearly 700 million people, this isn’t just poverty statistics — it’s their daily reality. That amount simply isn’t enough to pay for food, clean water, or shelter.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

Help us end extreme poverty by empowering people through your generosity.

What are the causes of extreme poverty?

There’s no single cause — poverty is a web of connected factors and challenges that keep people trapped in hardship. Among the most common drivers:

• Conflict and political instability displace families and destroy infrastructure.
• Extreme weather events, like droughts and floods, reduce food and water security.
• Lack of education limits income and future economic opportunity.
• Unclean water and poor sanitation spread disease and reduce productivity.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

“The biggest challenge that we are facing in this area is lack of access to clean water,” says Anazazi, a mother in Kenya. “… If we had clean water in the community, it would really help us and help us to live a good life.”

Who is most affected by extreme poverty?

Extreme poverty impacts entire communities, but children and women are often hit hardest.

• Children under 5 are especially vulnerable to stunting from chronic malnutrition, which can cause lifelong cognitive and physical challenges.
• Women and girls often walk long distances for water, sacrificing time that could be spent on education or earning an income.
• Families in rural or fragile contexts may lack access to jobs, electricity, safe roads, and clean water sources.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

How does extreme poverty affect children?

Poverty and children are tragically intertwined. Extreme poverty limits potential and opportunity. It means going to bed hungry, missing school, and growing up without safe places to play or learn. In recent years, the number of children living in poverty has surged, with an estimated 356 million children now affected globally. That’s more than the entire population of the United States.

For children, the impact of poverty runs deep:

• Malnutrition can delay brain development and learning.
• Lack of education limits future opportunities and earning potential.
• Unsafe living conditions raise the risk of violence, exploitation, and abuse.

Yet children are also the key to breaking the cycle. When a child gains access to clean water, health services, and education, their lives and their communities begin to change and thrive.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

Is extreme poverty getting worse or better?

After decades of progress in reducing poverty, gains have slowed, and in some places, reversed, following the COVID-19 pandemic. In some regions, poverty is now worse than it was five years ago.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

What are the most effective solutions to end extreme poverty?

Based on decades of research and field experience, these solutions are the most impactful to break the poverty cycle:

• Access to clean water and sanitation
• Empowering women and girls
• Strengthening families through economic and spiritual support
• Supporting local health and education systems
• Partnering with trusted community leaders

BACK TO QUESTIONS

Can faith make a difference in development work?

Faith-based poverty relief offers more than material support — it revives hope. World Vision integrates spiritual development into our poverty-tackling work through a curriculum called Biblical Empowered Worldview. This approach helps people understand their worth, purpose, and potential through the lens of faith.

Our Christian identity has shaped how we serve. We partner with local churches not just for physical needs, but to nurture spiritual and emotional healing. This model of faith-based poverty relief deepens trust and long-term impact.

A study from Baylor University found that faith-based organizations often outperform others in building sustainable support systems, due to deep-rooted community engagement and volunteer mobilization.

By partnering with leaders from both Christian and other faiths, we create meaningful change in communities. These leaders use their trusted influence to address important issues such as child protection, public health, and social well-being. Through programs like Channels of Hope, World Vision equips them with training, accurate information, and tools to promote social norms while offering spiritual and emotional support. This approach leads to measurable improvements in health, safety, and community development around the world.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

What makes World Vision different in tackling extreme poverty?

We are one of the world’s largest Christian humanitarian organizations, serving children and families in nearly 100 countries.

What sets us apart:

• We stay long-term. Our community partnerships typically last 10 to 15 years, giving time to help build strong local systems and raise up local leaders who can sustain progress.
• Faith-driven, not faith-limited: Motivated by our Christian faith, we serve all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. Faith inspires our work; it never limits who we serve.
• We multiply impact. Every $1 given is multiplied through grants and partnerships.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

Breaking the poverty cycle: Stories of change

Access to clean water opens the door

One of the simplest ways to break the poverty cycle is by giving families access to clean water. It means fewer missed school days, lower risk of disease, and more time for work and for kids, time to learn and play.

In Kenya, 15-year-old Grace has experienced this. For four years, she and her siblings rose before dawn to gather water from a distant, unsafe source. The burden was physical — carrying more than 22 pounds of water in one haul — and deeply emotional. “I was a little bit scared,” Grace says. “I am scared of the darkness.”

Gathering often caused her to miss school. Contaminated water also made her sick. She says, “I would feel like there is a needle or a thorn poking inside my stomach.”

That changed when World Vision, part of its community development work, installed two water points, including one at Grace’s school. Today, Grace attends classes regularly and dreams of brighter days.

Clean water is more than a basic need: It protects health, restores dignity, and opens the door to education and opportunity.

Stories like Grace’s show the power of simple acts, like access to clean water. Together, we can continue breaking the cycle of poverty for families around the world.

Equipping women and girls changes everything

When women and girls are empowered, entire communities thrive.

In Ethiopia, literacy classes have helped mothers earn income and support their children’s education. In Kenya, thousands of women join savings groups to launch small businesses and build economic resilience.

When one woman is empowered, the ripple effect extends to her family, her village, and the next generation.

Former sponsored child Phanet (pictured above at age 19) now teaches fifth grade in the same rural Cambodian classroom where she once studied. With support from World Vision’s sponsorship program, her family’s farm grew into a thriving business, and Phanet overcame challenges to pursue her education. Today, she is determined to pass on the gift of learning to the next generation, while continuing to dream for herself.

Faith-based programs help people thrive

Prisca (shown below at age 20), whose confidence had been shaken by unexpected pregnancy and economic pressure, experienced renewal firsthand through World Vision’s Biblical Empowered Worldview training.

“Before [Biblical] Empowered Worldview, I was looking at life in a very narrow way. I thought that earning money was very difficult. Especially after I got pregnant, it’s like I became more closed.”

The training reframed her vision. “[Biblical Empowered Worldview] taught us to see how we can look at life in a broader way and be able to develop ourselves,” Prisca says. “It has helped me to be able to figure out how to improve myself. I’m able to do business on my own and see how I can develop myself.”

Today, she dreams of becoming a teacher and one day building a home for herself and her son, Lazarus. “Even for my son, I want him to go to school and to be educated so he can even be better than me in the future.”

This is the power of faith in action: practical tools, spiritual renewal, and the chance to reimagine a future beyond poverty.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

How can I help end extreme poverty?

Real change starts with informed action. You can:

• Sponsor a child
• Support clean water, health, and educational programs
• Advocate for policies that reduce extreme poverty
• Pray and share stories that inspire

BACK TO QUESTIONS

The post What is extreme poverty and how can we end it? appeared first on World Vision.

The post How World Vision helps communities prevent and treat infectious diseases appeared first on World Vision.

The post If we had clean water appeared first on World Vision.

The post For lasting change, just add clean water appeared first on World Vision.