How Climate-Smart Farming Changes Lives

Growing resilient livelihoods for generations

A thriving garden is bringing more than nutritious food to eight-year-old Rina and her grandmother. It's helping them build resilience, earn an income and look ahead with confidence.

Each morning, Rina carries a plastic basket through rows of leafy greens and beans, helping her grandmother, Chim Sav, harvest vegetables from their family garden in Cambodia. To Rina, it's a place she enjoys spending time. To her grandmother, it's something far more significant: a source of food, income and hope.

For many years, life was uncertain.

Chim Sav relied on a small plot of land to provide for herself and her granddaughter. But changing weather patterns, crop-damaging insects and poor soil made growing enough food increasingly difficult. When harvests failed, so did much of the family's security.

When growing food becomes a daily struggle

Across many rural communities, families face mounting challenges as climate shocks affect traditional farming practices. For households already living on tight budgets, even one poor harvest can have serious consequences.

For Chim Sav, worrying about whether there would be enough food was part of everyday life.

But change began to take root through long-term, community-led support.

A gentleman is in discussion with a lady. He’s wearing a World Vision lanyard and she’s holding a red plastic basket full of green beans. — Climate-smart farming training has helped Chim Sav improve crop yields and adapt to increasingly unpredictable weather conditions

Working alongside local families, World Vision introduced climate-smart farming techniques designed to improve soil health, strengthen food production and help communities adapt to changing weather conditions. Chim Sav joined other caregivers in her village to receive training, seeds, tools and hands-on practical support.

Rather than offering a short-term solution, the programme focused on helping families build skills and resilience that would last.

A garden that gives more than food

Today the transformation is visible.

A young girl holds a red plastic bucket while her grandmother harvests from a tall trellis covered in green beans. They face the camera. — Rina helps her grandmother harvest green vegetables from once-empty soil – while surplus sales help cover school supplies and clothes

The garden now produces a variety of nutritious vegetables for the family. Any surplus can be sold locally, generating income that helps cover essentials such as clothing and school supplies.

That means Rina can focus on being a child.

She loves drawing, reading, learning new things and spending time with friends. And when asked about her future, she already has a clear answer.

One day, I want to be a teacher.

Change that spreads through communities

Rina's story is one example of a much bigger picture.

In 2025 alone, more than one million people were trained in climate-smart agriculture and sustainable land management through World Vision-supported programmes.

When families can grow enough food, earn an income and build resilience against future challenges, the benefits extend far beyond individual households. Children are healthier, education becomes more accessible and communities become stronger.

A young girl concentrates on her reading and her grandmother embraces her with pride. They’re both sitting comfortably in a hammock, smiling. — Rina loves drawing, playing with friends, reading and learning new things

A legacy that keeps growing

Support from committed donors, including gifts left in Wills, helps make long-term, community-led change possible. Because lasting transformation doesn't happen overnight. It grows steadily over time, just like the vegetables in Chim Sav's garden.

And for children like Rina, it creates space to dream bigger about what comes next.

A young girl stands with her grandmother, two friends and a World Vision representative – all facing the camera. They carry beans and other greens they’ve picked in the garden behind them. — Rina, friends and 3,000 more children in their community in Cambodia can now learn, grow and dream bigger thanks to long-term support helping families build better futures together

By planning ahead, you can protect the people you love and, if you choose, leave a gift that helps future generations thrive. After providing for family and friends, a gift in your Will to World Vision could help more children like Rina create brighter futures of their own.

That's why we're pleased to offer a free Will-writing service through our trusted partner, Octopus Legacy.

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Whether you're making your first Will or updating an existing one, you can do so free of charge and in a way that suits you.

You can write your Will:
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Creating a Will can give you peace of mind that your wishes are clearly recorded and that the people and causes you care about are provided for.

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Rina in her school uniform looks at the camera and crosses her arms. — Today, Rina can look ahead with confidence. She has the chance to learn, grow and pursue her dream of becoming a teacher

The impact of a gift in your Will

Many supporters choose to leave a share of their estate to World Vision after providing for family and friends. These gifts help children and communities build brighter futures for generations to come.

• 5% could help support 30 Savings Groups supporting 660 people build more secure livelihoods for their families.

• 10% could help 35,000 children receive nutritious school meals, helping them learn, grow and thrive.

• 20% could help bring clean water and sanitation to a healthcare centre, protecting patients and newborn babies.

Whatever size it may be, a gift in your Will becomes part of something bigger, helping create lasting change for children and communities around the world.

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