Support children in Africa

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Poverty and conflict mean that women and children in DRC are more vulnerable to sexual abuse, exploitation and kidnapping. As well as focusing on food aid, healthcare and Child Friendly Spaces, we prioritise child protection. We have strengthened systems for child protection at local level to tackle the root causes of child abuse, in partnership with others such as faith leaders. Working with faith leaders has been key in our response to Covid and has provided support for peace building.

Currently, our work in DRC is focused on reaching displaced people with food and livelihoods assistance. We also run a project that supports pregnant girls and adolescent mothers to complete their education.

Ethiopia

Since 1971, World Vision has been helping children in Ethiopia face poverty and hunger. Despite improvements, 40% of Ethiopians don’t have safe water in rural areas. Many also don't have adequate sanitation, which can lead to diarrhoea, a major cause of death in under fives. As a world leader in providing clean water, our work has transformed children's futures.

Sadly, conflict has disrupted communities, and our current work includes ensuring that displaced families can access nutritious food throughout the crisis. We are still working long term with communities to strengthen systems that safeguard the wellbeing of children. 

Kenya

Since 1974, World Vision has been working in Kenya. In more recent years, we have been focused on helping communities become resilient to emergencies caused by conflict and climate change. From training in climate-smart agricultural techniques to encouraging families to join savings groups, households are more equipped to face challenges.

We are supporting communities with emergency nutrition and water supply due to the hunger crisis. Alongside reaching their immediate needs, our long term work in Kenya continues and includes working with communities to strengthen child protection systems and improve children's wellbeing.

Malawi

Our projects in Malawi are improving the wellbeing of children by focusing on ensuring children and mothers have better access to healthcare facilities, nutritious food, improved literacy and a safe environment. We also work together with children and communities to help them strengthen their voices so they're empowered to stand up for their rights to avoid child marriage and stay in school.

Mozambique

World Vision has been in Mozambique since 1983, helping people build a better future by improving water facilities and protecting children from malaria. Thanks to supporters, we've helped thousands of vulnerable young women by providing sewing machines so they could start their own small businesses, and we have opened after-school reading camps, distributed books to book banks, and even produced new books in local languages - all to help children to boost their literacy skills.

More recently, we have responded to a cyclone emergency with water and sanitation support, and partnered with communities to boost health and address child protection concerns.

Niger

Since 1994, we’ve been working to improve water supply, health facilities and food security in Niger, setting up grain banks, and providing quality seeds to farmers in a country where out of every ten people living in poverty, nine live in rural areas.

We're helping children get an education, ensuring that communities are safe and more children are thriving through child protection systems. We're also screening for child malnutrition, and providing community-based follow up treatments to improve overall child nutrition.

Senegal

For 30 years we’ve been working to protect children from the changing climate in Senegal, improving food production to avoid malnutrition. We also tackle issues that push children into exploitation like child marriage, female genital mutilation, child labour and child trafficking. We have backed more than 500 local child protection committees and supported survivors of child violence with medical, legal and psychosocial assistance. World Vision Senegal continues this work following the completion of World Vision UK programmes 2022.

Sierra Leone

World Vision has worked in Sierra Leone since 1996. The programme started during the civil war, but after it ended in 2002, our work moved into long-term development. We have worked with the government to find innovative ways of supporting the remote training of healthcare workers and helping reduce maternal and child mortality rates through public health messaging. We are also implementing child protection systems, improving access to education, and building community capacity to ensure that vulnerable children are protected and participating. 

Somalia

Somalia's years of civil war and cyclical climate shocks, resulting in floods and chronic drought, have left millions of people fearful, struggling with poverty and hunger. Somalia has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world and our work aims to tackle that. We are supporting flood and drought affected communities by rebuilding livelihoods through agricultural crop and livestock production, and providing basic services such as water, education and basic health services. We have worked to provide care and prevention of tuberculosis for many years and continue to do so. Alongside this, World Vision supports communities and health centres as they prevent and treat malnutrition.

South Sudan

Since 1989, World Vision has been present in the area which, in 2011, became South Sudan. Conflict began in 2013 with millions forced to flee for safety – and hunger and malnutrition still ravish the country. Our emergency work has provided food assistance, access to clean water, and gives children and their families emergency shelter and essential household items.

Most recently, we have been working to promote unity between survivors of violence and their communities, in partnership with faith groups.

Sudan

Poor infrastructure and massive displacement of people because of conflict have undermined Sudan’s development and significantly affected children in various parts of the country. 40% of the population don’t have access to clean water, which we are working hard to support, while aiming to improve the wellbeing of boys and girls through access to food, health, nutrition and meeting educational needs.

Tanzania

Tanzania is particularly prone to drought, and rural communities are in a difficult position when it comes to meeting the essential needs of their children. Since 1981, World Vision has worked to improve access to essential services and improve the wellbeing of children. We continue to support children and families through our projects which includes the provision of healthcare, water and sanitation, and child protection.

Uganda

World Vision Uganda started in 1986 to tackle the causes of poverty and malnutrition following the war. The challenge is hard: despite improvements overall, most people are subsistence farmers and many Ugandans live in extreme poverty. Our livelihoods projects support families to move out of poverty for good, helping them generate sustainable incomes, set up community savings groups, and train on improved farming methods.

We are still supporting communities to access nutritious food, clean water and sanitation services, and building their capacity to safeguard the wellbeing of children.

Zambia

Over the years, we have supported the development of hundreds of child protection committees and children's councils, ensuring youth are empowered to protect themselves and others. We have also drilled boreholes, supported communities to upgrade household latrines and built school and health centre latrines to improve the overall sanitation and health of millions of people. This work continues alongside literacy projects, and working with faith leaders to promote children's rights and strengthen child protection services.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has been hit by many catastrophes over the years: from drought and a refugee crisis in the 1970s and 1980s, to more recently flooding and a cholera epidemic. World Vision remains committed to partnering with the people of Zimbabwe, providing emergency assistance, increasing access to education, supporting the construction of water systems and focussing on agricultural development.

Our work currently includes ensuring that schools are inclusive. For example, we're ensuring that pregnant girls and adolescent mothers are allowed to complete their education and experience fullness of life, meaning they're empowered to offer the best chances to their children.