The post Her voice, her future: Unlocking children’s confidence appeared first on World Vision.

The post The cost of child marriage appeared first on World Vision.

The post Following dreams in the shadows of war appeared first on World Vision.

Every year, millions of girls face a life-altering procedure rooted in harmful traditions. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is more than a practice — it’s a violation of human rights. Around the world, an estimated 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone FGM, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). New estimates show a 15% increase in survivors since the last data was released in 2016, meaning 30 million more have undergone FGM.

While the likelihood of women and girls being subjected to FGM has decreased in recent decades, the rising number of girls born into countries where FGM is practiced underscores the urgent need for preventative efforts to address the growing risk.

To stop the practice, the United Nations (U.N.) established the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, observed annually on February 6. The U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality) also calls for intensified global efforts to end FGM by 2030.

Here are six facts you should know about female genital mutilation:

1. The definition of female genital mutilation

FGM involves the partial or complete removal of the female external genitalia and may include other injuries to the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons. It is internationally recognized as a violation of human rights and a form of gender-based violence. The procedure is most often carried out on girls between birth and age 15 and is known in some areas as female circumcision or cutting.

2. The consequences of FGM for girls and women are painful and long lasting

FGM has severe implications for the physical, psychological, and sexual and reproductive health of girls and women. Often performed under unsanitary conditions without anesthetic, FGM can cause:

• Intense pain, bleeding, and swelling that may obstruct urination or defecation.
• Long-term complications such as chronic pelvic infections, urinary tract infections, and birth complications for mothers and children, as well as emotional trauma and psychological suffering, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The procedure offers no health benefits and is not condoned by the World Health Organization (WHO), most governments, or reputable medical associations. In addition, the economic burden of treating complications caused by FGM is substantial, with the WHO estimating a cost of $1.4 billion per year for health systems.

At 13, Abigael (pictured above) escaped FGM and her father’s plans for child marriage. With support from her mother, local authorities, and World Vision’s Kenya Big Dream program, she’s thriving at school in Kenya, focused on pursuing her education. She’s passionate about biology and mathematics, and she dreams of becoming a nurse or doctor to support her community, especially girls and women.

3. FGM is practiced all around the world

FGM is still prevalent in at least 30 countries across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. It also persists among immigrant populations living in Western Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand.

4. Why FGM continues to be practiced

FGM continues because of deeply rooted cultural beliefs and gender inequality. While most girls and women familiar with the practice would like to see it end, they face immense social and cultural pressure to conform. In many countries, FGM symbolizes a girl’s entrance into womanhood and is seen as essential for marriageability. Mothers, fathers, extended family, and community leaders may force the practice to ensure her acceptance.

5. Medicalizing FGM does not make it safe for girls or women.

Even when performed by a healthcare provider, “medicalization” of FGM is a violation of human rights and medical ethics. The U.N., the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, and many national medical associations have rejected the practice.

Medicalization of the practice is giving rise to an alarming trend: About 1 in 4 girls and women had FGM performed by health personnel. Medicalization is especially common in Egypt, where it is banned but remains widespread.

6. Ending FGM is possible

Most of the countries where FGM is still practiced have legislated against it. However, cultural and social norms must change to end the practice.

World Vision’s child protection efforts focus on educating and empowering communities to reject harmful practices like FGM. We believe every girl and boy is a precious gift from God, and every child deserves protection from whatever keeps them from experiencing fullness of life. Harmful practices like FGM can hold girls and women back from achieving their potential and helping lift their communities out of poverty.

In Kenya, we’ve seen success with programs like our Alternative Rites of Passage (ARP) program, a week-long coming-of-age celebration that includes awareness training on the harmful practices of FGM and child marriage. Also, boys learn to have more positive perceptions of girls who have not undergone FGM, opening a new path to marriage and a shift in attitudes.

The ARP’s concluding ceremonies for girls and boys help replace FGM as an important cultural marker.

The ARP is just one part of the Kenya Big Dream project, which aims to empower girls by eliminating the root causes of FGM and child marriage, allowing them to see their worth in God’s eyes and realize their potential.

The goal of World Vision’s child protection work is to keep every child safe from exploitation, abuse, and violence. We’re committed to educating and empowering girls and their communities to end FGM.

Watch Messania’s Story, an award-winning short film highlighting a strong woman in Kenya who underwent FGM — and found the determination to escape abuse, challenge harmful cultural norms, and sing a new song of freedom.

Sevil Omer of World Vision’s U.S. staff contributed to this article. 

Read more about how we’re empowering Kenyan girls with a new tradition

Learn more about Kenya Big Dream

The post 6 facts about female genital mutilation (FGM) appeared first on World Vision.

Today, nearly 1 in 10 children worldwide are engaged in labor that denies them their basic human rights and jeopardizes their well-being. Child labor has been on the rise in recent years, driven by conflicts, crises, and the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which have pushed countless families deeper into poverty, according to the United Nations. For these children, the struggle for survival has taken away their education, safety, and childhood. Despite global efforts, economic growth has not been enough to alleviate the hardships that force families to depend on child labor.

Child labor: Facts, FAQs, and how to help

• Fast facts: Child labor
• What is child labor?
• Why is child labor a problem, and where is it prevalent?
• What are the worst forms of child labor?
• What is the primary driver of child labor?
• Has child labor increased or decreased over time?
• What is World Vision doing to end child labor?
• How can I help end child labor?
• Child labor history

Fast facts: Child labor

• Child labor, by definition, is a violation of child protection and human rights.
• Approximately 160 million children have been forced into child labor since 2020. Of these children, 63 million were girls, and 97 million were boys. And nearly half of those young laborers — 79 million children — worked under hazardous conditions.
• 1 in 3 children in child labor are out of school.
• Approximately 70% (112 million) of child laborers work in agriculture like farming and livestock herding.
• Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of child laborers at 86.6 million children, followed by Central and Southern Asia with 26.3 million.
• June 12 marks the United Nations–sanctioned World Day Against Child Labour, a time to reflect on young workers deprived of their childhood, education, and a rightful future.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

What is child labor?

Child labor is the exploitation of children who are either too young to work or are engaged in work that compromises their physical, mental, social, or educational development. Children, especially vulnerable during their early developmental years, are at risk of injuries that may not become evident as physical and mental health problems until later stages of life.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

Why is child labor a problem, and where is it prevalent?

Child labor affects millions of children around the globe by depriving them of their childhood, education, and fundamental human rights. It poses risks of physical, emotional, and psychological harm to those involved.

Data from the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) shows that slightly more than 1 in 5 children in the world’s poorest countries engage in potentially harmful work, as of 2023. This issue is prevalent in areas of insecurity and armed conflict.

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of child laborers, with nearly 24% of children aged 5 to 17 engaged in child labor. Factors contributing to child labor in low-income countries include family poverty and inadequate education. However, child labor isn’t limited to low-income countries. It persists to some extent in all countries: More than half of all child laborers live in middle-income countries.

David, the eldest of five children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), became the sole provider at age 13 after his father left in 2022. Working in a quarry, David faced daily hardships. However, World Vision came alongside David and his family, as it has for other children like him. Through community awareness campaigns and targeted interventions, World Vision helped facilitate David’s return to school with support from RECOPE (a community child protection network) in Haut-Katanga province. World Vision continues to support the Congolese government’s efforts to safeguard children’s rights in the DRC.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

What are the worst forms of child labor?

The International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 182 demands that hazardous and morally damaging labor practices for children be immediately and completely eliminated. The worst forms of child labor, as defined by this document, include:

• Slavery or similar practices
• Child trafficking
• Forced recruitment into armed conflict
• Prostitution and pornography
• Drug production and trafficking or other illegal acts
• Debt bondage
• Hazardous work that can cause injury or moral corruption

BACK TO QUESTIONS

What is the primary driver of child labor?

Poverty is the primary reason children are forced to work, perpetuating a crushing cycle that denies them education, a crucial tool to break free from poverty. According to the ILO, approximately 70% of child laborers toil in agriculture. Others work long hours in factories and domestic service or face even more exploitative forms of labor — like as child soldiers or being exploited in the commercial sex trade.

“The work I do at the workshop is very painful. I often get cuts and bruises on my hands and I have to lift very heavy machinery,” says Sajal*, a child laborer in Bangladesh. “I don’t want to work here but I will starve if I don’t work. The kids I used to go to school with now bully me sometimes. They tell me that I don’t belong with them anymore now that I have to work while they get to go to school.”

*Name changed to protect identity.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

Has child labor increased or decreased over time?

According to a joint UNICEF and ILO publication, child labor worldwide increased to 160 million in 2020, up by 8.4 million in several years. This marked the first halt in global progress to end child labor in over two decades. In sub-Saharan Africa, factors like population growth and extreme poverty added 16.6 million children to child labor in the last several years. UNICEF and the ILO emphasized that the global impacts of COVID-19 and extreme weather events could threaten millions of additional children.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

What is World Vision doing to end child labor?

At World Vision, we strive to eliminate child labor and help equip communities for long-term transformation. By placing children at the heart of our work, we empower them to understand their rights and strive toward their own well-being. Together with parents and communities, we support the building of protective environments, working toward a world where no child’s future is stolen by labor exploitation.

Our initiatives focus on:

• Enhancing teaching quality and improving learning spaces through educational services
• Supporting parents to improve their incomes and food security, eliminating the need for children to work
• Advocating for the enactment and enforcement of national child labor laws
• Promoting social accountability for communities, governments, and businesses
• Equipping communities, including faith leaders, parents, and community groups, to monitor vulnerable children to prevent hazardous work
• Promoting decent work for youth who are above the minimum working age through training, life skills, and entrepreneurship, coupled with access to savings and credit services

BACK TO QUESTIONS

Discover more about World Vision’s Bright Futures project aimed at reducing child labor in Honduras.

How can I help end child labor?

• Pray: Join us in praying for all children who are trapped in labor.
• Give: Support programs that aim to protect kids from labor and other forms of exploitation, abuse, and violence.
• Sponsor a child: By investing in a child’s life, you’ll help equip them for brighter futures. Child sponsorship benefits entire communities through programs like education and resources that help children stay in school and create better job opportunities for them to pursue as adults.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

Child labor history

Throughout history, children have supported their families through farming and handicrafts. However, the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries brought about significant changes, leading to the exploitation of children in factories and farms under hazardous conditions. This prompted the creation of laws to regulate working conditions for kids and mandate education. Key milestones in child labor history:

1938: The U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act restricted the hours and types of jobs for individuals under age 16.

1973: The Minimum Age Convention, ratified by 172 countries, established the minimum age for employment with some exceptions.

1989: The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child was enacted to ensure the protection of children’s rights to develop and thrive.

1992: The International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) was established to promote the global eradication of this practice and to support countries in their efforts.

1999: The Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, ratified by 186 countries, mandated the elimination of practices such as slavery, human trafficking, debt bondage, forced labor in armed conflict, prostitution, pornography, drug trafficking, and other illegal activities.

2021: The U.N. General Assembly declared 2021 as the Year for the Elimination of Child Labor.

2025: Target 8.7 of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals seeks to end all forms of child labor by 2025.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

Sevil Omer of World Vision’s U.S. staff contributed to this article.

The post Child labor: Facts, FAQs, and how to help appeared first on World Vision.

The post Sudanese refugee children reclaiming their childhood appeared first on World Vision.

Child labor, as defined by the International Labour Organization, is work that deprives children of their childhood, potential, and dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. Let’s explore this critical issue through impactful photos.

On June 12, World Day Against Child Labour, we reflect on the 160 million children worldwide — nearly 1 in 10 — forced into child labor, depriving them of their rights and future.

Among these children, 79 million worked under hazardous conditions in 2020, further jeopardizing their health, safety, and well-being.

Approximately 70% of child laborers, or 112 million children, work in agriculture, predominately farming and herding.

Child labor is most widespread in impoverished regions, often exacerbated by armed conflict. Sub-Saharan Africa leads with 86.6 million child laborers, followed by Central and Southern Asia with 26.3 million.

Children, especially vulnerable during their early developmental years, face risks of injuries that may not be evident as physical and mental health problems until later stages of life.

Approximately 6.3 million children have been forced into commercial sex exploitation, experiencing severe abuse and violation of their rights.

The negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a rise in child labor, with more children being pushed into work due to economic hardships and school closures.

Child labor prevents children from getting the education they need to break free from the cycle of poverty. One in three children in child labor are out of school.

World Vision places children at the center of all our holistic development work to equip communities to sustainably transform their lives.

Discover more about World Vision’s Bright Futures project aimed at reducing child labor in Honduras.

We help empower children to understand and exercise their rights and equip them with tools to work toward their own well-being.

We collaborate with parents and communities to protect children, helping to safeguard their futures from the injustice of labor exploitation. We work with governments to advocate for the support and enforcement of national child labor laws.

We are dedicated to supporting and nurturing communities’ positive transformation, helping ensure every child can reach a brighter future and live the full lives that God intends for them.

Learn more child labor facts and how you can help.

You can help protect children from child labor.

Give Now

The post What you need to know about child labor in photos appeared first on World Vision.

In the heart of As-Sura, a small village in the West Bank, stood an old, neglected community center — a once-lively place where children’s laughter echoed against the walls.

The faded murals and broken playground equipment hinted at better days, but the years had not been kind. Peeling paint, rusted doors, and lacking basic sanitation had rendered it unfit for any activity. The community, struggling with scarce resources, had been unable to restore it.

However, As-Sura is not unique. Throughout the West Bank, children in many villages face a harsh reality with no place safe to play, meet friends, or enjoy moments of innocence.

The situation has only worsened since late 2023, as regional conflict and tensions increased. Schools are often closed, and there is a constant threat of violence. The crisis has escalated, leading to more checkpoints and increasing economic hardships. As a result, many children cannot leave their homes and are isolated from their friends. Being cut off from their social circles and regular activities, these children are experiencing high levels of stress, anxiety, and trauma, which can have long-lasting effects.

Recognizing this urgent need, World Vision made it a priority to create safe spaces for children and communities across the West Bank. In As-Sura, the transformation began with a dedicated group of volunteers and the village council. They, in partnership with World Vision, joined forces to rehabilitate the community center. Over several weeks, they repainted walls, installed new bathrooms, and added water tanks to supply clean drinking water.

The impact was immediate and profound. The revitalized center has quickly become a warm haven for the children of As-Sura, a place where they can meet, play, and reclaim moments of childhood. Soon after the center was rehabilitated, World Vision relaunched its Makani (“my place” in Arabic) club, offering 163 children, ages 6 to 12, an opportunity to gather, learn essential life skills, and be kids in a safe and normal space.  

“I have made a lot of new friends, and I love coming here,” said 9-year-old Jumana, her face lighting up with joy.

In August 2024, the community center hosted one of the 61 summer camps organized by World Vision in the West Bank. Over nine days, 160 children in As-Sura, along with close to 10,000 others in camps throughout the West Bank, enjoyed various activities within a safe environment. Each day, they also took part in psychosocial support recreational activities, which were designed to reduce stress and tension through sports, arts, and playful interactions.

As-Sura’s story is just one example of World Vision’s broader efforts in the West Bank. Between October 2023 and August 2024, we built or renovated 26 safe spaces in the West Bank. We also offered mental health and psychosocial support programs in over 100 villages, supporting over 28,000 children and adults.

World Vision’s emergency response has impacted the lives of families in more than 155 villages across the West Bank, offering hope, healing, and an opportunity for children to reclaim precious moments that are childhood experiences. In places like As-Sura, these efforts are more than just a program — they are a lifeline.

The post World Vision’s summer camps offer hope to West Bank children appeared first on World Vision.

The post Children heal through art at Child-Friendly Spaces appeared first on World Vision.

Migration across Central America is escalating, with more families with children seeking better opportunities outside their home countries. Migrants primarily cite poverty and economic hardships, violence, and food insecurity as reasons for leaving. Adding to the surge in migration is the exodus of Venezuelan migrants, who are leaving their homeland in significant numbers, as reported by the United Nations.

 Central America migration: Facts, FAQs, and how to help

• Fast facts: Central American migration
• Where do most Central American immigrants come from?
• Why are Central American migrants coming to the U.S.?
• How many people are migrating from Central America to the U.S.?
• What is World Vision doing to help at the Mexico–U.S. border?
• Where in the Americas is World Vision providing humanitarian aid?
• What is World Vision doing in migrants’ home countries?
• How can I help children and families in the Central American migration crisis?

Fast facts: Central America migration

• Families are migrating north due to poverty, violence, and food insecurity.
• Migrants at the southern U.S. border predominantly come from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
• UNICEF reports an estimated 4.1 million children will need humanitarian assistance in Mexico and Central America in 2024.
• Weather-related events such as the El Niño weather pattern and other crises threaten areas already affected by food insecurity and past disasters.
• At the Mexico­–U.S. border, World Vision and church partners aid vulnerable families with food and basic household and school supplies.
• In Central America, World Vision partners with churches, governments, local businesses, and schools to build resilience and create a safer, more nurturing environment, helping people remain hopeful at home.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

Where do most Central American immigrants come from?

Most Central American migrants come from three of the region’s seven countries — El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras — referred to as the Northern Triangle. It’s called the Northern Triangle because the countries are clustered in a triangle at the northern tip of Central America. Guatemala, the northernmost of the three, borders Mexico.

All three of the Northern Triangle countries rank among the poorest in the Western Hemisphere and are plagued by chronic violence.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

Why are Central American migrants coming to the U.S.?

Many factors cause people to uproot their families. The most common reasons among Central American migrants are extreme economic hardship and lack of opportunities, food insecurity, political insecurity, violence, natural disasters, and extreme weather–related events.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

How many people are migrating from Central America to the U.S.?

There is no clear count of how many people are migrating to the U.S. from Central America. But the Migration Policy Institute says of the 3.4 million Central Americans living in the U.S., about 85% of them are from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. At any given time, there could be thousands of people journeying north from their home countries. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection*:

• Over 450,000 people arrived at the U.S. border in 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic slowed migration across the world.
• That number nearly quadrupled in 2021 to at least 1.7 million migrants who were returned to their home country or detained in the U.S., at least temporarily, at the U.S.–Mexico border.
• More than 189,000 people reached the U.S. border in June 2021 — the highest number ever seen for one month in more than 20 years. Numbers kept climbing in subsequent months that year.

*Numbers are based on the fiscal year.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

What is World Vision doing to help at the Mexico-U.S. border?

Since late 2018, when one of the large migrant caravans arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, World Vision staff have been working with local faith-based organizations to help migrant families. We’re working with partners along the border in Arizona, California, and Texas, where we’re supporting vulnerable families who need essential supplies like food, water, hygiene items, and basic household and school supplies.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

Where in the Americas is World Vision providing humanitarian aid?

Since 2019, World Vision has been actively responding to the Central America and Venezuela crisis through our program “Hope Without Borders” in Central and South America. From 2019 to March 2024, we have supported over 2.1 million people with programs focused on child protection, education, food security, access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and livelihoods in countries including Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

We are also facilitating economic programs through employment support and training, along with mental health services for those affected by the crises. Collaboration with faith-based organizations is vital, enabling us to offer safe spaces, skills training, and language classes. World Vision’s cash transfers and food aid have become an essential lifeline for thousands of people in Central America and Venezuela.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

What is World Vision doing in migrants’ home countries?

We’ve been working for decades throughout Latin America, including in Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, where child sponsorship is helping families thrive at home.

World Vision has designed the Hope at Home: Building Resilience in Central America framework, which aims to address the root causes of forced migration by building resilience at the individual, family, community, and societal levels. We do this by helping communities through programs on violence prevention; social inclusion; sustainable livelihoods; food security; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); quality of education; health; and so much more.

One program raising hope among vulnerable youth in Central America is Youth Ready. Through this approach, we partner with local churches to support young people to discover their potential, develop specific career and life skills, establish support networks, build character and confidence, and plan for their future. This work is made possible largely through child sponsorship.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

How can I help children and families in the Central America migration crisis?

Here are effective ways you can help Central American families living in precarious situations:

• Pray: Join us in praying for people in Central America, asking God to bring peace to communities, strength and integrity to leaders, and economic stability to families.
• Support U.S. foreign assistance by contacting your elected officials. It only takes a minute.
• Sponsor a child in Central America: Sponsoring a child is a personal way to show God’s love to a child in need. It also gives a family more reasons to remain in their community.

BACK TO QUESTIONS

The post Central America migration: Facts, FAQs, and how to help appeared first on World Vision.