Every day, in every country in the world, girls are confronted by violence, abuse and unequal treatment that continues to rob them of their childhoods and limit their chances. A girl is far more likely to be denied her rights, kept from school, forced to marry and subjected to violence. Such is the story of Pauline, who against all odds had a breakthrough.

Playing sports can be one of the most important aspects of a child’s life. Why? Sports help children learn. Through sports, children can develop confidence, independence, physical skills, concentration and creative thinking. And don’t forget, a healthy diet plays a vital part in helping children enjoy sports. However, good health, nutrition and exercise can seem out of reach for children from underprivileged communities in Malaysia. These children record higher percentages of malnutrition than the national average.

You may have heard of this: "One cannot think well, love well, sleep well if one has not dined well." Yes! Food is not just something to fill the stomach. Food can be delicious, inventive, colourful, inspiring, and meaningful to all of us. But did you know that nearly 50 million people are on the edge of famine in 45 countries? Tens of millions of children and their families are confronted with starvation in a massive hunger crisis. 

Imagine if you were the reason a young family could go to bed with full stomachs and not worry about their next meal? Lebanon’s economic crisis is one of the worst in decades. The currency has collapsed and businesses have shut.

Saira*, 15, don’t have school or evening play time with friends to look forward to. What she has is her 10-month-old baby boy to look after. “I used to go to school where we learned how to read, write and count,” recalls the young mother.

Today we’d like to introduce you to two groups of people under our Community Development Programmes in Sabah who despite the challenges of the pandemic, have remained committed to the adage and are creating safe environments where their children can feel protected, supported and loved.