Read this inspiring story about how five goats saved a young girl from child marriage and gave her hope for better future.
Why World Vision is in Zambia
Ongoing challenges for Zambia include rural poverty and high unemployment levels. To address these issues, World Vision offered business skills trainings so men and women could start small businesses and provide for their children. Savings groups we started continue to flourish and spread to new communities, so members can accrue small funds for emergencies and access loans to build their businesses. One third of the population does not have access to clean water and one half lives without adequate sanitation. In 2010, we began a clean water campaign, and since then, 614,508 Zambians have gained access to safe drinking water, including 152,301 adults and children in 2015. Waterborne illnesses have been drastically reduced for children as a result of the availability of safe water within 500 meters of their homes, as well as hygiene and sanitation trainings. We worked closely with the Ministry of Health to distribute mosquito nets that guard against malaria. All family members were tested for malaria, even if they didn’t show symptoms, as people can carry the malaria parasite without feeling sick.
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 Zambia ❯
Progress in Zambia
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.
- To increase household incomes, we trained farmers and community members in business management and established new savings groups.
- Farmers attended sessions on conservation farming techniques that taught them to increase agricultural production, improve community resilience to droughts, and reduce deforestation.
Healthy Children and Families
Children and families are well nourished, protected from infection and disease, and have access to essential health services.
- New moms attended our sessions on proper childhood nutrition, such as exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and preparing nutritious meals for toddlers with local ingredients.
- In partnership with the Ministry of Health, we trained community health volunteers and mothers to advocate for clinics to provide skilled birth attendants to help with delivering babies.
- Parents in the community learned about the importance of immunizations, proper nutrition, sanitation, vitamin supplements, and malaria prevention during our trainings on childhood health.
- To improve access to safe water and lower the incidence of waterborne illnesses, we drilled borehole wells and educated families on the importance of handwashing, personal hygiene, and waste management.
- To reduce the incidence of HIV and AIDS, we formed anti-AIDS clubs in local schools and trained community health volunteers on prevention of mother-to-child transmission.
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 trained PTA members and community leaders in our Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) program to advocate for improved quality education. Advocacy efforts focused on eliminating early marriage and supporting girls to continue their education. CVA is our program that empowers communities with tools to advocate for better healthcare, education, and protection.
- We trained teachers in effective literacy programs and supplied schools with new books and learning materials to help kids succeed at reading and writing.
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.
- Teachers, pastors, and Sunday school teachers provided both Christian nurture and hygiene education for children by using a curriculum called "Jesus Source of Living Water." Clubs were formed in schools, where kids learned about the Gospel and how to care for themselves.
Prayer Requests from Zambia
World Vision's staff in Zambia are asking us to join them in prayer for the following:
Rains to return to Zambia to alleviate the drought.
More families to gain access to clean water sources.
News from Zambia
Prayers
Matthew 25: Pray for the thirsty
663 million people around the world don’t have access to clean water. Join us in prayer for children and families who are thirsty and lack this most basic necessity.
Voices
Nivesh begins to dream of water and beyond
Without clean water, you and your clothes stay dirty. Imagine being too ashamed to go to church. To school. Without hope or community around you. Nivesh is a girl whose dreams were dying before they ever had a chance. See how the promise of clean water is giving new life to her dreams!
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