News & Stories

Xa is only 14 years old, but for years, she knew what her future holds: early marriage. Where she lives in Vietnam, arranged marriages are prevalent and most girls are married as teenagers. Both of Xa’s grandmothers married at 15. Her mother married at 17. Her sister married at 19. In her culture, women are the breadwinners of the family. Once, Xa’s mother had to go to the forest to chop down a tree even though she was heavily pregnant.

From a young age, Semira was in charge of the chores around the house. She would fetch water, cook, and collect firewood for her family while her three brothers would spend their time leisurely. None of them thought anything of it – it was just how things had always been in their community in rural Ethiopia.

Just 21, Andreea is one of hundreds of World Vision volunteers working on rotation day and night to support people fleeing Ukraine. Andreea grew up in a small, rural area in eastern Romania. Many children in her community did not have the chance to attend school so they spent their days in the fields caring for animals.

The war in Ukraine has captured the world’s attention, and that’s as it should be. The devastation is tragic, as people are forced to flee their homes seeking safety, protection and assistance. It’s been encouraging to see governments and ordinary citizens taking a real interest in Ukrainian refugees and giving generously to help them. However, there are many other refugees around the world in circumstances that are just as desperate.

Kenzho was just five years old when the pandemic happened in the Philippines. The young boy from the province of Aklan is already seven years old. As an only child, he spends most of his time playing with his friends. He also helps his mother with their house chores. To fully support Kenzho with his lessons, his mother Almira decided to quit her job to focus on tutoring her son and taking care of him during the pandemic. While being jobless, Almira depends on the two small businesses that she and her mother, Amy, started before the pandemic. With the help of World Vision’s Community Managed Savings and Credit Association programme, Almira has learned how to save and invest money in productive ventures.

No mother wants to see their child malnourished. But Asela had to. Amid climate change in Welikanda, Sri Lanka, hunger is stalking Asela’s three-year-old son Heshan. Her husband, Sampath, a daily wage labourer, is working long hours to put food on the table. Things got worse when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and work opportunities fell drastically.