More than 65 million people around the world have been forced to flee their homes, the most since World War II. About 22.5 million of them have fled their own countries as refugees. Find out the top six countries where refugees come from.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Why World Vision is in Democratic Republic of the Congo
In 2015, for the thirteenth year in a row, the Democratic Republic of Congo claimed positive economic growth. And yet, due to years of political instability and natural disasters, 60 percent of the population still lives on less than a dollar a day. Many families do not have access to school or healthcare for their children. To address these inequities, World Vision promoted school attendance, literacy, and girls’ education. Schools were updated with new classrooms and desks, and teachers received additional training. Healthcare initiatives last year focused on prenatal care for pregnant women and campaigns that reached remote children with physical exams and vaccinations to prevent life-threatening childhood diseases.
We never give up on people
World Vision child sponsorship looks at all the things that prevent children from surviving and thriving in their community, and then works with that community to bring all the pieces of the puzzle together to build a better life for all children. For sponsors, it’s a personal way to show God’s love to a child in need in a life-changing way.
Sponsor a child in Democratic Republic of the Congo ❯
Progress in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Thanks to the generous support of donors, we’re making great progress toward the well-being of children and their families.
Child Protection and Care
Boys and girls are safe and valued, well cared for by their families, and participating in their communities as agents of transformation.
- We helped strengthen child protection by ensuring that community members are equipped with the knowledge and advocacy skills to respond to abuse, neglect, and exploitation against children.
- To encourage children's participation in their communities, we worked with partners to organize activities and events including International Children's Rights Day, Christmas celebrations, music and sport competitions, and Bible camps.
- We empowered children to voice their concerns to local authorities about issues like early marriage that are affecting their lives so they could become change agents in their own community.
Healthy Children and Families
Children and families are well nourished, protected from infection and disease, and have access to essential health services.
- To improve child and maternal health, we collaborated with local health partners to educate mothers on childhood nutrition, healthy birth spacing, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, prenatal care, and immunization. We also encouraged using rehydration salts for treating diarrhea and insecticide-treated mosquito nets for preventing malaria.
- To improve access to safe drinking water, we drilled new borehole wells, trained water committees on borehole well repair and maintenance, repaired handwashing facilities and water points, and promoted new water treatment techniques.
Education for Better Lives
Children have opportunities to learn and to develop their talents, young people are equipped for the future, and families and communities support children's education.
- We provided training on our Literacy Boost approach to help enhance teaching methodologies in reading, writing, and math for primary school age children. The Literacy Boost approach features tutoring and materials in children's local languages that encourage them to learn to read.
- To support teachers and improve children’s engagement and learning outcomes, we distributed teaching aids and textbooks written in local languages.
Love of God and Neighbors
Children and families are growing spiritually, local churches are strengthened to demonstrate Christ's love in practical ways, and people are living at peace with their neighbors.
- Our local staff served children and families as a demonstration of God's unconditional love, seeking always to be faithful ambassadors of Jesus.
Prayer Requests from Democratic Republic of the Congo
World Vision's staff in Democratic Republic of the Congo are asking us to join them in prayer for the following:
Opportunities for children to break out of the cycle of poverty.
New savings groups to pool their savings to help members start new businesses.
News from Democratic Republic of the Congo
Prayers
Covering the world in prayer: Pray for southern Africa
Pray for the work World Vision is doing in countries that make up the region of southern Africa — Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
From the Field
DRC conflict: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) threatens the lives of more than 7 million children affected by fighting, hunger, diseases, and poverty.
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