Child sex trafficking continues in Cambodia and globally

Photos and story by Heidi Isaza, World Vision U.S. Edited by Shawna Templeton.

As a child, life in Cambodia was very hard for Ka*. "My parents were so poor. When I was young, we didn't even have a house," she recalls. While many children were going to school, Ka helped her siblings scavenge for cans and beg for money on the streets.

But even amid these desperate circumstances, never did she imagine that one day she would become a victim of sexual trafficking.

Because of poverty

"I left home when I was 16 because of the poverty," Ka explains. On the advice of a friend, she headed for the Thai border in search of a higher paying job.

For her first job, Ka worked at a karaoke club. However, these clubs are often used as fronts for brothels.

"I worked as the girl who sold the beer," she explains, adding that some men at the club would make sexual advances and force her to drink. After just two weeks, she ended up unconscious in the hospital.  She decided to look for another job.

Very few options

On the street with very few options, Ka continued to find herself working in different clubs or brothels.

In one instance, she was indebted to her employer for $6 -- an amount that kept her captive for two years, forced into prostitution, serving between five and 10 men each night. Eventually, a police raid on the brothel set her free, only to put her on the street alone, yet again.

In her desperate state, she was forced to work in another brothel. To attempt another escape, she and another girl secretly phoned the police. Finally, two days later, the police came. "We felt like we have a new day," remembers Ka.

A massive problem

No one knows exactly how many children are involved in prostitution in Cambodia, but data indicate that the problem is significant.

"It is often said that there are 100,000 [prostitutes], just in Cambodia," says Joshua Pepall, technical advisor to World Vision's Trauma Recovery Project. "Anywhere from 30,000-60,000 children [are] possibly involved in the sex trade."

The sex industry is especially harmful to children, who are in high demand. Pepall says that children are seen as cleaner, more complacent, and easier to control and manipulate. "Their families are poor," says Pepall. "They come from the provinces and they get into this cycle of debt, and actually all they want to do is help their family."

The Child Protection Compact Act

Unfortunately, Cambodia is not the only country known to be a hotspot for sex trafficking and other forms of child exploitation. But trafficking practices can be prevented and squelched. And the United States can use its influence and resources to continue to battle trafficking around the world.

A bill before Congress, the Child Protection Compact Act (HR 2737 and S 3184), is one such resource. This bill would create a strategic partnership with countries that have shown the political will to combat trafficking, but lack the knowledge and resources to enforce the law. It helps build the capacity of countries to protect victims and prosecute traffickers.

"Helping to equip governments abroad to tackle problems within their own borders is a good investment and the right thing to do," says Jesse Eaves, child protection policy advisor for World Vision.

A new day

Upon Ka's release, instead of simply being put out on the street again, she was taken to World Vision's Trauma Recovery Project.

Ka is one of more than 800 girls and women who have gone through this program. She received physical, psychological, and spiritual counseling, as well as skills training to prepare her for a proper occupation.

"I can see light coming into my life and I can think about the future," says Ka, now 20. "I am sure I will work in sewing things. I could even teach the other [girls] in the community how to sew," she says with a confident smile.

Unfortunately, there are still many girls who are not so fortunate. "We are only touching the tip of the iceberg," says Pepall.

*Not her real name.

Learn more

Read more about child trafficking and World Vision's efforts to stop this tragic practice.

Three ways you can help

Pray for those working to assist children and other vulnerable individuals who have been trafficked. Pray for a transformation of the perpetrators of this crime. Pray also for protection and healing for those who have been exploited through trafficking.

Call or e-mail your representative to voice your support for the Child Protection Compact Act (HR 2737 and S 3184).

Donate now to help provide hope for sexually exploited girls like Ka. Your gift will offer assistance like medical care, safe shelter, nutritious food, education, trauma recovery counseling, and more.

A source of strength and stability in post-quake Haiti

Many children in Haiti's outlying areas are in need of caring sponsors like you. Even before the massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake on January 12, 2010, their communities were affected by extreme poverty.

After the disaster, many of these areas saw an influx of displaced relatives, friends, and even strangers from the decimated city of Port-au-Prince.

World Vision's sponsorship programs in Haiti help children, families, and communities like these by providing access to essentials like clean water, nutritious food, education, shelter, healthcare, and the chance for a better future through job creation and local economic opportunities.

Haiti is particularly vulnerable to hurricanes at this time of the year. Sponsorship also helps communities prepare for such disasters -- and recover more quickly when crises happen.

The children of this country -- the poorest in the Western Hemisphere even before the deadly quake -- need your ongoing support now more than ever. Please consider sponsoring a child in Haiti today and providing assistance that will carry a long-lasting impact. Most importantly, please join us in continued prayer for the survivors of the earthquake that struck more than six months ago in this vulnerable part of the world.

A stark portrait of what's at stake in Niger

Edited by Tara Becker, World Vision U.S.

Niger, one of the world's poorest countries, is facing its worst food crisis in five years. World Vision's Ann Birch gives a glimpse of Niger's condition and what World Vision is doing to help. This account was written June 1 on the road to a nutritional program and health center.

The last time I visited Komabangou, Niger, was two years ago. Back then, I thought it was one of the poorest and most desperate places I had ever seen.

Komabangou is a mining area -- very hot, dry, and with poor access to drinking water. The community is made up of people who migrate from all over Niger and neighboring countries.

They are desperately poor, trying to make a living from what is, in effect, a non-productive mine. I am glad for the opportunity to go back to Komabangou, but very nervous at the same time. I am worried about what we will find, given the current drought and food crisis.

'In Africa, everyone is looking to the sky'

On the road to Komabangou, all the earth is orange -- a really deep terracotta orange. The trees are very sparse, and as we get closer to Komabangou, the orange, sandy earth gives way to very rocky soil.

I remember a conversation I had with a colleague, Moussa, the day before. He told me that it has only rained two or three times so far this rainy season. Normally, it should start to rain in late April and continue through September. On hearing this, my heart sinks.

This isn't just about communities trying to make it through the annual "lean season," which are typically the months running up to the October harvest. It could mean that even this year's planting and upcoming harvests are at risk. It's not what I wanted to hear.

We drive by another river bed; this time, there is a small amount of water in it. Others are completely dry. We pass two Fulani herders, and the angular bones of their skinny cattle stick out.

Again, I think of a conversation from the day before. "In Africa, everyone is looking to the sky," someone had said to me. "Communities do not understand the rain patterns anymore."

How can they, I wonder, given the changes in seasonal rainfall?

Help for the hungry

We arrive at the healthcare center in Komabangou; it's time to start working. The community volunteers and health workers trained by World Vision were in full swing when we arrived, already weighing and assessing the children and babies for malnutrition.

I start to photograph the babies, and I feel my stomach turn over every time I hold the camera up and see another skinny body in front of me. It seems like baby after baby is suffering from severe malnutrition.

The day we spent in Komabangou, 13 new cases of acute severe malnutrition were identified -- bringing the current total of severe cases in this one healthcare center to 53 in just three weeks. I am told by health staff at the center that last year there were just 22 severe malnutrition cases for the entire year. The comparison is startling.

Three ways you can help

Please keep the children and families of Niger in prayer as they cope with a massive food crisis fuelled by severe drought. Pray for World Vision's efforts to bring relief and comfort to those who are gravely suffering.

Donate now to help World Vision deliver relief and support to Niger. Your gift will help provide life-saving food and care to children and families affected by hunger and malnutrition in one of the world's poorest countries.

Sponsor a child in Niger. Your love and support for a boy or girl in need will help provide life-saving essentials that form the foundation of a hopeful future, like nutritious food and clean water.

Left behind by AIDS, empowered by World Vision

July 2010

By Ratana Lay and Rachael Boyer.

AIDS robbed Keu Chamroeun, 15, of both of her parents. "My grandmother told me my father passed away when I was 5 months old, and my mother passed away when I was 1 year and 10 months old," says Chamroeun, holding the only remaining photo she has of her mother. "Both of them left me because of AIDS."

Chamroeun's aunt, Kithy, says, "If there was ARV, my younger sister would not have died," talking about the anti-retroviral drugs that were not available 13 years ago.

'A very difficult situation'

"I have been living with my grandmother in [a] very difficult situation," says Chamroeun. Her grandmother used to pick lotus leaves to sell at the market. Sometimes they had enough food; sometimes they didn't.

"Before [World Vision], I went to school irregularly because I had to spend time to work in other people's farms to earn money," she said. "My classmates did not play with me because my parents died from AIDS. My community discriminated and hated my family. I did not get support from them. When I was sick, there was no medicine. All these reasons discouraged me from studying."

A change for the better

Thankfully, things started to improve after Chamroeun found help through World Vision's HIV and AIDS programs. She got support and encouragement from World Vision staff members, who also connected her with other community resources. "The support encouraged me both physically and mentally," she says. "I now have hope and I am determined to study hard for my future."

Her hard work and studying is paying off. Chamroeun is an outstanding student at school, and she was elected as a leader at a local children's club, where she teaches other children after school about what she's learned from World Vision. She teaches and speaks about proper hygiene, how HIV is transmitted, and how to prevent becoming infected.

Help from World Vision also means that she doesn't have to work in other people's farms instead of going to school. She has the school supplies she needs, and she and her grandmother have enough food to eat.

The International AIDS Conference

World Vision continues to help children and families affected by AIDS, like Chamroeun and her grandmother. This week, specialists from World Vision and other organizations will gather at the International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Vienna. The IAC is one of the world's top forums for advancing the international community's collective response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic.

Our focus at the IAC will be to address the needs of children, an issue that is chronically overlooked in the fight against global AIDS. Caring for the needs of children, their families, and their communities must be a major part of the AIDS response -- and communities need resources to facilitate progress.

Three ways you can help

Please keep in prayer the children, families, and communities who are affected by the global AIDS crisis, and pray that this humanitarian emergency would receive the attention it requires from the international community in order to make meaningful progress for people like Chamroeun and her grandmother.

Contact your members of Congress. Urge them to continue to increase the U.S. contribution to the global AIDS fight and to make sure that children affected by AIDS are not forgotten.

Help children like Chamroeun, and others who are affected by the AIDS pandemic, by making a donation today. There are many ways you can make a difference. Find the one that touches your heart.

Congress takes important step to make laptops and cell phones 'conflict-free'

July 29, 2010

By Shawna Templeton, World Vision U.S.

To help ensure that Americans' electronic purchases don't fund violence in the DRC -- a country wracked with war between competing armed factions -- Congress included conflict minerals provisions in the financial reform bill passed on July 15.

A key step

"This is a key step toward dismantling an illegitimate trade in conflict minerals that has been funding one of the world's worst humanitarian crises," says Rory Anderson, World Vision's deputy director for advocacy.

The provisions included in the Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 will require companies to file documentation with the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), demonstrating that minerals purchased from the DRC or adjoining countries are not from a conflict zone. These filings will be subject to independent audits to ensure their accuracy and legitimacy.

Next step: implementation

Since 1997, widespread campaigns of rape, child soldiering, and mass displacement have led to more than 5 million deaths in the eastern DRC, with about 1,200 people dying daily.

The "three Ts" used in electronic devices such as cell phones and laptops -- tin ore, tantalite, and tungsten, as well as gold -- are a major source of funding for armed groups that commit atrocities against civilians. Anderson says the lack of regulations continues to incentivize conflict and abuses of women and children.

While the inclusion of the conflict minerals trade provisions marks progress, regulations only do so much. "Enacting this legislation is the first step, [but] the next and most important step will be implementation, including strong SEC regulations to ensure that corporations are complying with the law,"  explains Anderson.

Continued advocacy is crucial

Legislative victories such as this do not come quickly. The acceptance of the conflict minerals provisions by Congress is the culmination of more than three years of advocacy by World Vision, citizens, and several other humanitarian and human rights organizations.

Of course, this legislation alone will not end the conflict in eastern Congo. Continued advocacy for sustained peace is crucial.

Learn more

For more information about the new legislation, read the Washington Post article, "U.S. financial reform bill also targets 'conflict minerals' from Congo."

Learn more about the conflict in the DRC.

Three ways you can help

Pray for children and families in the eastern DRC who are impacted daily by a vicious war. In particular, pray for women and girls who are the most violated by continued conflict. Pray that this new legislation would help curb the violence.

Speak out. Advocate for sustained peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Give monthly to help provide assistance for children affected by war. Your monthly contribution will help us deliver critical support such as food, clean water, healthcare, safe shelter, trauma counseling, and more.

Congress takes a bite out of malaria funding

July 22, 2010

By Craig Jaggers, World Vision health policy advisor.

For most children in Africa, mosquito bites that pass on malaria are a lethal threat. And now, programs to combat this killer disease are at risk as a House appropriations subcommittee just bit off nearly 70 percent of the increase in the president's request for malaria programs -- an amount already short of the $1 billion a year commitment the United States made in 2008.

If action isn't taken, malaria funding could be limited to $615 million in fiscal year 2011, $70 million below the president's request and far short of the congressional promise to provide $1 billion a year.

These cuts are not merely for the sake of fiscal austerity, as the committee provided increases above the president's request in other accounts.

This is a critical moment, and for those of us who care about protecting children from this lethal disease, a time for action. It's not too late to provide more funding for malaria, but Congress needs to hear that people care. The full House of Representatives will need to vote on the appropriations bill, and the Senate has not yet taken action on the appropriations bill affecting global health. Action now could make all the difference.

Help us show Congress that there is a chorus of people who find it unacceptable to take a bite out of the resources that are literally saving lives. Take action now.

Six months later, progress made in Haiti, but recovery will take years

July 12, 2010

Six months after Haiti's devastating earthquake, much has been done to help the people of Haiti, but the road to lasting recovery will take many years.

As humanitarian groups transition from relief to recovery efforts, providing sturdy, safe shelter to survivors is one of the most pressing and complex challenges now facing aid workers. With hurricane season already underway, better shelter is also one of the most urgent needs for families.

"Our relief efforts continue at full pace, providing clean water, education for children, temporary shelter, job training, and more," said Ton van Zutphen, World Vision's response director. "However, the long-term needs of Haiti remain daunting. Our priority now is getting transitional shelters up and doing all we can prepare for hurricane season."

Ongoing assistance for quake survivors

With 30 years of experience in Haiti and hundreds of staff members already living and working in the country, World Vision launched a large-scale relief program immediately after the January 12, 2010, quake. We continue to assist thousands still living under tarps in camps.

Our interventions include providing 2 million liters of clean water to 23 camps each week, establishing cash-for-work opportunities for more than 10,000 people across 29 camps, operating 10 health clinics serving more than 11,000 people, and supervising 22 Child-Friendly Spaces welcoming 7,700 children per week.

Having distributed more than 82,000 tarps and tents in the early months of the response, World Vision is currently working to jumpstart transitional shelter projects while continuing to explore new sites, suggest options to repair houses, and mediate in camps to prevent evictions. Multiple challenges have slowed the process of moving displaced people from emergency shelters to sturdier transitional shelters, including issues around land rights, rubble removal, and determining the most appropriate, durable transitional shelter design for families in Haiti.

Success in Haiti depends on more than money

"Aid groups have never had to build so many transitional shelters of this durability so quickly," explained van Zutphen. "And while we're grateful for the generous donations that are making our life-saving work possible, the reality is [that] it will take more than money to move Haiti to the next stage. Strong coordination and clear direction from the national government are paramount to accomplish the many tasks at hand here in Haiti."

Given Haiti's high rate of poverty and the massive loss of infrastructure and human capital, this earthquake has proven to be one of the most difficult disaster responses in recent memory. While working to scale up construction of transitional shelters, World Vision is also beginning to implement more sustainable large-scale programs in the areas of livelihoods, health, education, and water and sanitation.

Learn more

Read more about the Haiti earthquake, including World Vision's response, stories of survivors, ways you can help, and ways to stay connected.

Read the complete report (pdf) on World Vision's response to the Haiti earthquake in the first six months.

Two ways you can help

Please continue to keep the people of Haiti in prayer as they work to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the deadly January 12 earthquake, and pray that the efforts of organizations like World Vision will help create relief and hope in a place where the needs are staggering.

Donate now to our Haiti Relief and Long-Term Support Fund. Your gift will help World Vision continue to deliver life-saving assistance to quake survivors -- and stay in Haiti for the long haul, as people begin to rebuild their lives from the rubble.

Send God's Word to children in Latin America

July 8, 2010

World Vision has partnered with Family Christian Stores to deliver some 200,000 New Testaments with personalized bookmarks to children in Latin America. You can join us in giving this impactful, unforgettable gift of God's Word.

The Dios me Ama (God Loves Me) New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs is easy to read and designed to reach the Spanish-speaking community with relevant topics, book introductions, reading plans, and more.  It comes with a companion bookmark that allows you to personalize a specially selected message to the child in Spanish.

For only $5, you can purchase the Dios me Ama New Testament with a bookmark at your local Family Christian Store. This is an easy and powerful way to extend the love of God to Latin American children. World Vision will deliver the New Testaments and bookmarks to the children.

Find the Family Christian Store nearest you today! This Bible is only sold there.

Five ways you can help change the world this summer

June 30, 2010

Summer is a terrific time to do something out of the ordinary with your church or community to raise awareness about the poverty and justice issues that you are passionate about and invite others to get involved.

Here are a few suggestions:

Start a "Hole in Our Gospel" book group

Now available in paperback, this awarding-winning book by Rich Stearns, president of World Vision U.S., urges Christians to embrace their biblical responsibility to serve the poor. "The Hole in Our Gospel" is a terrific resource for small groups or individual reflection. Visit www.theholeinourgospel.com.

Bring the End Malaria campaign to your community

Share World Vision's End Malaria campaign with your small group, congregation, book club, or neighborhood this summer. Download resources like our malaria prayer guide. Or, request a copy of our nine-minute malaria impact DVD, "Africa's Deadliest Predator." This video brings the deadliest predator to life, with stories of children and families affected by malaria.

Check out our End Malaria resource page to see the full array of free resources to help you advocate and raise awareness about this leading killer of children.

Host a Broken Bread Poverty Meal

Host a Broken Bread Poverty Meal in your community this summer. Through a simple porridge meal, true-to-life stories, discussion, prayer, and advocacy, participants will identify with and intercede on behalf of those broken by the cycle of poverty, disease, and hunger. Visit www.worldvision.org/brokenbread for more information and meal resources.

Run for Team World Vision

Are you running a race this summer or autumn? Run for Team World Vision! By joining Team World Vision, you can dedicate your race to raising awareness and funds for some of the world's most vulnerable children.

Just choose an athletic event that you want to participate in, and Team World Vision provides you with a personal fundraising webpage to make it easy for your friends and family to support you by donating online. Visit www.worldvision.org/teamworldvision.

Lead a poverty and justice study group

Lead discussions with your Sunday school class or home group about poverty and justice issues and God's heart for the poor and oppressed. For free products that will help guide your conversations, visit www.worldvisionresources.com.

Water project in Vietnam promises healthier lives for villagers

July 2010

By Ngan Kim Nguyen, World Vision Vietnam. Edited by Meghan Bardwell, World Vision U.S.

Little Ho Thi The and her siblings don't need to walk hours to fetch water. They can take the water for their family's daily cooking and drinking from a big stream near their house. Before carrying four plastic cans of water home, the 11-year-old girl can wash clothes and have a bath there.

The's family, as well as the other families of Cheng village, live along the stream because they are able to gain access to the water, a resource especially precious during dry season. But now, the stream is being polluted by local coffee processing companies, threatening the health of The and the other villagers.

Villagers suffer from sickness

"The companies, which are located in the upper reach, directly discharge their wastewater to the stream, which is our only water source," explains Ho Van Chin, leader of the village.

Despite no official study, waterborne diseases from the contaminated stream can be found in nearly every home.

"My children often have stomachache[s], and my whole family has scabies," says The's mother, 29-year-old Ho Thi Do.

Her neighbor suffers from the same circumstances.

"My family, with five members, has itchy sores on our skin. My 2-year-old daughter suffers the most," says Ho Thi Co, 27. "The disease makes her feel uncomfortable from 7 p.m. until early morning every day. She sometimes scratches the itch on her head until it bleeds. She cries all night, so we often don't have a good sleep."

The two women buy medicine for their children at a local health station, but the diseases continue to return.

"Scabies occurs at our village every year and a stomachache is common, especially for our children," village leader Chin reveals. "The whole village was infected with sore eyes last year."

Poverty limits access to clean water

A World Vision survey found that the local stream is the main source of water for 16.3 percent of the population in the Huong Phung Commune of Vietnam, where Cheng is located. However, despite the recurring diseases from using unclean water, residents of that small village have no other choices for a water supply, due to financial difficulties.

Along with unclean water, unhygienic living conditions face local people. The survey showed that 85 percent of interviewed people in the commune haven't had a latrine -- or their hand-made latrines are considered to be dirty.

Villagers in Cheng are no exception.

"None of [the] villagers have a latrine at their house because we're all poor," says leader Chin.

A vision for clean water

Responding to the needs of Cheng and other villages in Huong Phung Commune, World Vision will launch a water and sanitation project to improve villagers' living conditions.

"To be implemented between 2010 and 2011, the project will support the local community and schools to drill wells or install water supply systems so that they can gain access to safe water...[and] upgrade or construct their own latrines," says Tran Xuan Thuy, who is in charge of the initiative.

Needy villagers in Cheng look forward to healthier lives with the World Vision-funded project -- one of many across the globe aimed at improving communities' access to this basic, critical resource.

"I hope there is a big tank of clean water at my village," The's mother says. "Though the road is not too far, fetching water isn't an easy job, especially during hot weather. I don't want my daughter to be tired of carrying water so she can take a rest after school."

"I wish for safe water because it's the most urgent. Having the water, the villagers are able to keep their health well," says leader Chin. "After water, I hope my village will be supported to build hygienic latrine[s]."

Learn more

Read another story about a village in Niger that was transformed by a World Vision project that brought clean water to its residents.

Three ways you can help

Thank God that the villagers of Cheng will receive the help they need through World Vision's water project. Pray for help for other villages in Vietnam and around the world that suffer from similar illnesses because of unclean water.

Donate now to help support World Vision's water and sanitation projects around the world. The gift of clean water can dramatically improve people's lives, reducing illness and combating the cycle of poverty.

Give monthly to help World Vision provide clean water and sanitation to children and communities around the world where the need is great. These simple resources can mean the difference between despair and hope.

Donated medication saves a child's life in Zambia

By Collins Kaumba, World Vision Zambia. Edited by Tara Becker, World Vision U.S.

A clearly exhausted Sabina Chingala sits on her grandmother's lap with her hands folded around her swollen belly. The 3-year-old almost manages to fall asleep until a coughing spasm jolts her awake.

Her fatigue and discomfort are understandable. Sabina is recovering from an acute worm infestation that almost killed her.

"The cough is a result of the worms that have moved all the way through her body to the esophagus," says Themba Nthani, a health officer at the Mwalumina Clinic in Zambia.

At first glance, it looks like Sabina is suffering from malnutrition. She is pale, stunted, and weak. Her legs, hands, and stomach are swollen, and she can barely eat or move.

As though this is not enough, the 3-year-old also has anemia caused by the worms that have infested her blood stream.

A bigger issue

Sadly, Sabina's ailments are hardly uncommon for a child of her age in this part of the world. In the United States, infants who fall ill from childhood infections can simply visit a doctor and obtain basic medications to make them feel better.

In places like Zambia, however, it's not nearly so simple. Extreme poverty often renders basic health interventions and treatments inaccessible -- or unaffordable. A trip to the clinic can mean hours, or even days of travel. And when parents arrive with their sick children, they often leave empty-handed.

"The need for [medication] is high...sometimes we send patients away either because the government delays to disburse the drug kits or the drugs finish before the next kit arrives," confirms Themba.

'I thank the donors in the U.S.'

Globally, some 24,000 children under 5 die every day from preventable, treatable diseases. World Vision is working to change this through our Child Health Now campaign -- by lobbying world leaders to implement effective, low-cost solutions in countries like Zambia, and by partnering with generous corporations who donate medicines and supplies for us to distribute.

At the Mwalumina Clinic, such a partnership ultimately saved Sabina's life. A World Vision truck loaded with donated pharmaceuticals arrived just in time to provide her with the deworming medicine they needed to save her life.

"I thank the donors in the U.S. who are providing these drugs to save children's lives," says Themba. "Imagine how painful it would have been to see Sabina die just because we did not have the right drugs."

Thankfully, this painful scenario was not Sabina's reality. Her appetite is back and she is able to walk around. Because of the drugs she received from World Vision, this little girl will be able to rest tonight.

Learn more

Read another story about a child in Burundi suffering from diarrhea whose life was saved when World Vision delivered medication to the local clinic.

Read more about our global Child Health Now campaign and how you can be involved.

Three ways you can help

Praise God that Sabina is on the road to recovery because of the life-saving medication she received. Pray for children and families like hers around the world who face similar circumstances because of extreme poverty.

Donate now to help provide life-saving medicines and supplies in communities where they're needed most. Your gift multiplies 15 times in impact to help us deliver donated pharmaceuticals to clinics where the shelves would otherwise be empty.

Sponsor a child in Zambia. Your love and support for a boy or girl in need will provide basics like healthcare -- building stability for the present and hope for the future.

World Vision classes teach parents in Nepal about nutrition

June 2010

By Pratigya Rachelle Khaling, World Vision Nepal, and Tara Becker, World Vision U.S.

Tul Chaudhary, 6, energetically jumps up on the examination table, ready for his monthly check-up. Having done this for two years now, he knows what to expect.

His mother, Sarita Chaudhary, watches proudly as World Vision health volunteers document Tul's progress, part of a growth-monitoring program established since we began working in their village.

He is looking better each month, the health volunteer tells her. It's amazing how much life can change in just two short years.

A story of transformation

Two years earlier, Tul was suffering from a severe case of malnourishment. He had extremely fragile limbs and clear skin that stretched tight over his ribs.

"I did not know what was wrong with him," recalled his mother, Sarita Chaudhary. "He was becoming weaker by the day...his head was bigger than his body, and there was just no flesh."

Tul lives with his parents in a district that is situated in the far western region of Nepal. His father, Gurilal Chaudhary, works in a mill, while Sarita struggles between working and taking care of her responsibilities at home.

With two older children trying to make it through school and both parents working to put food on the table, giving Tul the care he needed was extremely difficult.

"Sometimes, I used to just leave all my work and be with him," said Sarita. "But, he didn't have an appetite. I was so worried to see him sick all the time."

Addressing a need

Tul is among millions of children in Nepal who are malnourished. Poverty, illiteracy, and lack of awareness contribute to high rates of malnutrition, and in some cases, death. "In remote villages like Tul's, marginalized people have less access to information," said Purna Bahadur Nepali, a World Vision child sponsorship coordinator. "The children here suffer malnutrition only because their parents are unaware of many health and nutrition issues."

This is what World Vision came to address when we began working in Tul's village two years ago. We registered 120 children in our sponsorship program, 60 percent of whom were severely malnourished.

Part of the sponsorship program, funded by World Vision donors in Australia, included classes for the mothers in the village. After the first class, it became evident that many mothers, including Sarita, had never had the opportunity to learn about proper childcare, nutrition habits, or sanitation.

"I didn't know that I wasn't feeding him properly," said Sarita. "It's not that we didn't have food at home, but we never cared whether the food was clean or rotten."

Healthy, happy, and thriving

As Sarita practiced what she was learning at home, Tul's skin color started to change for the better and life returned in his eyes.

Now, two years later, a once inactive, frail, and listless boy can be found playing with other boys in his village. And through his sponsorship with World Vision, he is also able to attend school, and is now in second grade.

"We are all happy to see our young boy running around," said Sarita.

"Although some of the nutritious food was available at home, I never knew it would work. I know that my ignorance and lack of knowledge would have lost him, but since I know now, my son is healthy, playing and dirtying his clothes."

Learn more

Read more about global hunger and malnutrition and World Vision's efforts to fight this crisis.

Four ways you can help

Thank God for the transformation that 6-year-old Tul has undergone since his mother received nutritional training. Pray for provision for other children like him who continue to struggle with hunger and malnutrition, in Nepal and around the world.

Contact your members of Congress. Ask them to support the Global Food Security Act, which would help reduce global hunger by investing in sustainable agriculture and nutritional programs.

Donate now to help provide life-saving food and care to children and families suffering from hunger and malnutrition. Your gift will multiply six times in impact to help provide things like emergency food, agricultural support, nutritional training, and more to those in greatest need.

Give monthly to help support our interventions for children and families affected by hunger and malnutrition. Your monthly contribution will help fund assistance like nutritious food, clean water, agricultural assistance, and more.

World Vision school feeding program makes learning possible

June 2010

By Cecil LaGuardia, World Vision Zimbabwe. Edited by Peter Warski, World Vision U.S.

Headmaster Enelia Ncube of Gohole Primary School in Zimbabwe once had a formidable burden to bear -- at least 85 percent of her students struggled with hunger daily, and 30 percent of them were orphaned.

"No breakfast, no supper...nobody talks of breakfast here," she said. "As far as many families are concerned, it does not exist. How can we expect children to learn with this kind of condition?"

It was a question shared by teachers and students alike. But when World Vision began a feeding program at this school in 2004, the situation quickly improved.

"Now, children go to school because food is served. I do not hear a child cry for food anymore," said Pamela, a seventh-grader. "School feeding helps us to learn...I am happy because I am not hungry."

Critical help for a struggling community

For Enelia, the program is heaven-sent, especially in a community where the majority of students struggle to pay school fees, and where government subsidies can barely buy a few boxes of chalk.

"Most of the time, teachers buy their own chalk," said Enelia, "or else, teaching would be impossible.

"[The feeding program] ensures that children eat nutritious food daily and can focus on the lessons in the classroom," she continued. "If they are hungry, they won't retain anything in their minds."

Increased student retention, enrollment

Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of the program is the positive effect it has had on retention and enrollment rates in the school. Where dropouts were once common, more students are now encouraged to pursue their education.

"The feeding activity spread around and encouraged parents to make sure children go to school to be able to eat food every day," said Enelia.

"[And] the program did not just encourage parents and children to value education; it also forged the community together to do something and help each other."

Students with dreams

But a visitor to this area of Zimbabwe needn't look at the whole school or village to see the effects of the feeding program; its benefits are clearly visible among individual children, many of whom have faced daunting challenges in their young lives.

"I want to become a district coordinator someday, to serve my people," said Mayo, a seventh-grader whose demeanor is now alert and hopeful despite her background. She lost both parents when she was barely 7 years old and is now under the care of her 71-year-old grandmother.

And Prince Emmanuel, just 5, is already looking toward his future. The boy, also orphaned and living with a grandparent, shared his desire to become a teacher while enjoying his school lunch with a friend.

'Doing what children should'

As headmaster, such transformation is inspiring for Enelia to observe. She knows that children in her community still cope with difficult circumstances. But she also recognizes the importance of a program like the one World Vision implemented at her school -- caring for children's nutritional needs creates hope and stability in so many other areas as well.

"When I see children participating actively in sports activities, I am happy because they are healthier," she reflects. "It matters a lot that they are doing what children should."

Learn more

Read more about hunger and malnutrition -- including World Vision's efforts to combat this global emergency.

Four ways you can help

Praise God that children at Gohole Primary School are now able to stay in class, focusing on their studies and their dreams instead of worrying about hunger. Pray for children in Zimbabwe and around the world who still struggle with extreme hunger and malnutrition -- pains that no child should have to bear.

Contact your members of Congress. Ask them to support the Global Food Security Act, which would help reduce hunger worldwide by investing in sustainable agriculture and nutrition programs.

Donate now to help provide food and care to children suffering from hunger and malnutrition around the world. Your gift will multiply six times in impact to provide interventions like nutritious food, agricultural support, and other care to those in greatest need.

Sponsor a child in Zimbabwe. Your love and support for a boy or girl in need will help provide essentials like clean water, nutritious food, and healthcare -- establishing stability for the present and hope for the future.

Inspiration from unexpected comrades

June 1, 2010

By Andrea Peer, World Vision U.S.

Do you think you could run 56 miles, up and down the hills of South Africa? After watching a blur of nearly 20,000 people compete in the Comrades ultra-marathon on May 30, I wonder what kind of person it takes to submit to such torture.

The Comrades race attracts many of the expected type of competitors -- incredibly fit, lean, and muscular men and women, seemingly born to run. Those runners impressed me.

But it was the others, the ones I wouldn't expect to run, who truly inspired me. At one point, I saw two men dressed identically, each holding onto the same circular tube. I thought this was a slightly extreme way to stay connected, until I realized that one of the men was blind. I stood at a corner and watched the two of them effortlessly take a 90-degree turn -- one man implicitly leading the other, but to the casual eye, it was two men running side by side.

Of the runners from Team World Vision, Paul Martin is one who also inspires me. He's humble and genuinely expresses gratitude for losing his leg in an accident. But seriously, running with one leg and one prosthetic leg cannot be easy. I'm sure there's pain, discomfort, and I don't know how he could be grateful all the time. Nevertheless, he keeps going. He has not let his disability deter him. In fact, he's taken it as a challenge to overcome.

Cheering along the sidelines was Paul's World Vision sponsored child, 9-year-old Sbongakonke. This young boy also lives with a disability -- he has no arms. When a man ran past with malformed arms, half the length of the people's arms around him, I watched Sbongakonke. His eyes were glued to this man, following his every step until the man was out of sight.

When Paul came to our cheering section, he ran over to Sbongakonke and lifted him up in the air like a champion. I wonder what this young boy was thinking. Was he wondering whether he too could run the Comrades?

I doubt I will ever compete in Comrades. But Sbongakonke might. With the right amounts of determination, endurance, some athletic ability, and perhaps a little insanity, it may be that anyone can. Even you!

Learn more

Read more about Team World Vision's participation in the May 30 Comrades Marathon in South Africa.

Two ways you can help

Join Team World Vision today. You can participate in a race of your choice, while raising funds and awareness for some of the world's most vulnerable children. You need not be a runner to join!

Sponsor a child today. Join Team World Vision's goal of changing the lives of children in need around the world.

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