A group of our longest-serving World Vision Advocates visited D.C. last week for a special event to recognize their 5+ years of volunteer advocacy and two days of in-depth learning opportunities with World Vision leaders. “These top Advocates form the core of our Advocate Community can now more actively recruit, train, and lead other Advocates in their home states, and are even more excited about doing so as a result of this unique opportunity” said Megan Pratt, Senior Manager of Grassroots Organizing. “They’re not just giving us their time: they’re stewarding their voices and influence in hea ..read more

Estimated read time: 6 minutes This Mental Health Awareness Month Help Us Pass Critical Mental Health Legislation  When the war started in Ukraine two years ago, six-year-old Yehor and his pregnant mother Marina made the difficult decision to leave their home and seek refuge in neighboring Georgia. Weeks later Yehor’s grandmother Svitlana joined them for the birth of his little sister. After arriving in Georgia, Svitlana quickly noticed her grandson Yehor had become quiet and reserved since leaving home. She sensed that he was having difficulty adjusting to their new life and dedicated he ..read more

Estimated read time: 3 minutes This May, during Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re reminding our leaders about harmful impact of violent conflict, extreme poverty, and displacement have on children’s mental health. Here are the answers to six frequently asked questions about mental health, vulnerable children, and the MINDs Act. 1. What is the MINDs Act?  The Mental Health in International Development and Humanitarian Settings Act (MINDs) is the first bill of its kind to deal exclusively with mental health programs in international humanitarian aid and development. Supported by World V ..read more

Estimated read time: 4 minutes World Health Worker Week celebrates and acknowledges the invaluable contributions made by frontline health workers worldwide. Who are these unsung heroes? Frontline health workers are made up of all types of health workers, including nurses, midwives, community health workers, and doctors. Together, they provide care to their communities and form the backbone of healthcare systems. In developing countries, healthcare workers often go unpaid to ensure communities can access the essential medical services they need, especially during times of crises.   Empower ..read more

Estimated read time: 4 minutes Water is seemingly simple yet essential and too often taken for granted. This World Water Day is our chance to pause and reflect on the impact this life-giving and sustaining resource in our own lives.   Globally, 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water. But clean water is so much more than just water to drink. Clean water is a ripple effect that can change everything for a child!  Clean water is health. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is the cornerstone of human health and well-being. Adequate sanitation facilities an ..read more

Estimated read time: 4 minutes 1 in 5 girls globally are married before they turn 18 – that is approximately 640 million women and girls alive today who were married as children. When a girl is married as a child, the impacts are far reaching, not only hurting the girl, but her entire community. This International Women’s Day let’s work to put an end to child marriage in all places it occurs. Here are 3 ways in which child marriage impacts a girl, her community, and the world. 1. Child marriage keeps girls from school. Currently, nearly 130 million girls are out of school. When a girl gets mar ..read more

Estimated read time: Three minutes  The Bible calls Christians to pray for their government leaders. And at this year’s Advocacy Summit, four high school students from Texas had the opportunity to fulfill that call in person with their member of Congress! Igniting a passion for service and action The Advocacy Summit brought hundreds of World Vision supporters togethers on Capitol Hill to speak up about growing child hunger. Attendees came from 32 states and all walks of life, including pastors, teachers, farmers, and military service members. But this year, a new group of Advocates joined ..read more

Estimated read time: Three minutes Twenty years ago, it was almost inevitable that if you were pregnant and HIV positive, your baby would be born HIV positive with a slim chance of living to age 5. And if they didn’t contract the disease at birth, they would likely contract it during breastfeeding. Thankfully, this is no longer the case. In 2003, Republican president George W. Bush, worked with Congress to create the most successful, life-saving global-health program in history, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). PEPFAR’s innovative, target-driven, and science-based preve ..read more

Estimated read time: Four minutes José was only 14 when the Bright Futures project came to his coffee farming community in La Florida, Marcala, in the western part of Honduras. Families in La Florida have been growing and harvesting coffee for generations. It was common to see children going to work in the fields, wielding machetes or carrying heavy loads, often at the expense of going to school. Bright Futures had a different vision for the community. The project, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and run by World Vision in Honduras, partners with communities to reduce child labor and pr ..read more

Estimated read time: Two minutes “He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.” — Psalm 72:14 Violence against children, in all its forms, takes a disastrous toll on the physical, mental, and social development of the more than 1 billion children around the world who are affected. They deserve a real childhood free of violence. Globally, half of the world’s children are exposed to violence every year. This violence includes abuse, neglect, exploitation, and physical, sexual, and emotional violence — including commercial sexual exploitation ..read more