World Vision’s work in Africa

We go where the need is greatest

World Vision has a long history working alongside communities in Africa. We respond rapidly to the biggest emergencies - from droughts to cyclones - and support communities to tackle big issues like inter-generational poverty and changing attitudes around child marriage.

We work in sixteen countries across Africa to protect children today, and empower them for tomorrow. Thanks to our supporters, we can go where the need is greatest, empowering communities to set their own goals and lead their own development so that progress made is sustained, and continued, long after we’ve left.

Where World Vision works in Africa

Our work in

Central African Republic

The country has been struck down by serious violations of human rights and communities need support. Many are facing food insecurity as the violence has stopped a lot of farming. Internally displaced people need better shelter, livelihood activities, clean water, child protection and psycho-social support. Our teams are working to invest in communities for the long term to break the cycle of crisis and response.

Child smiles as they play with a toy, surrounded by other children sitting on the floor in a Child Friendly Space in DRC

Our work in

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Poverty and conflict mean that women and children in DRC are vulnerable to sexual abuse, exploitation and kidnapping. As well as focusing on food aid, health care and child friendly spaces, we prioritise protection. We strengthen systems for child protection at local level and partner with others, especially faith leaders to tackle the root causes of child abuse, labour and trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Our work in

Ethiopia

Since 1971, we’ve been helping children in Ethiopia face poverty and hunger. 39 million Ethiopians, mainly in rural areas, don’t have safe water, and because of this, diarrhoea is the leading cause of death in under fives. As a world leader in providing clean water, our work here transforms children's futures.

Our work in

Kenya

Working with the most vulnerable children since 1974, we are now aiming to help 2.6 million by supporting people to become resilient to emergencies - helping households to start using climate smart agricultural technologies and enabling people to join savings groups. We are also engaging communities across Keyna on the subject of female genital mutilation, which is still a cultural practice in many areas..

Our work in

Malawi

Our projects in Malawi are improving the well being of 4 million children by focussing on ensuring children and mothers have better access to health care facilities, better nutrition, improved literacy and a safe environment. We also work together with children and communities to help them have a stronger voice, standing up for their right to avoid child marriage and stay in school.

Our work in

Mozambique

We’ve been in Mozambique since 1983, helping over 3.5 million people build a better future by improving water facilities and protecting against malaria. Over the years, thanks to supporters, thousands of vulnerable young women have received 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.

Our work in

Niger

Since 1994 we’ve been working to improve water supply, health facilities and food security in Niger, providing quality seeds to farmers in a country where out of every ten people living in poverty, nine live in rural areas. We also focus on child rights and education - training and resourcing parents to help their children study, setting up reading camps and providing books for children.

Our work in

Senegal

Children in Senegal are vulnerable to the changing climate – for 30 years we’ve been working to improve food production to avoid malnutrition. We also tackle issues that push children into exploitation like child marriage, female genital mutilation, child labour and trafficking. We have backed more than 500 local child protection committees and supported victims of child violence with medical, legal and psychosocial assistance.

Boy smiles into camera as he stretches out his hands to wash them clean using a safe water source

Our work in

Sierra Leone

We started working in Sierra Leone in 1996, during the civil war - after it ended, our work moved into long-term development. We work with the government to find innovative ways of supporting the remote training of healthcare workers, and help reduce maternal and child mortality rates through public health messaging.

Our work in

Somalia

Somalia's years of civil war, cyclical climate shocks resulting in floods and chronic drought have left millions of people fearful, struggling with poverty and hunger. We work where life is hardest, helping to free children and their families from the fear of hunger, poverty and disease. Somalia has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world and our work aims to tackle that - of the children we treated for acute malnutrition, 97% were cured.

World Vision worker smiles as she embraces 3 children in front of a building

Our work in

South Sudan

Since 1989 World Vision has been present in South Sudan and through our humanitarian work we have reached over 1.3 million people, 600,000 of whom are children. Conflict began in 2013 with millions forced to flee for safety – and hunger and malnutrition still ravish the country. Our emergency work provides food assistance, access to clean water and gives children and their families emergency shelter and essential household items.

Our work in

Sudan

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

Three children sit on a ledge, dressed in large jumpers, one holding an orange bowl on their lap

Our work in

Tanzania

Children in Tanzania are facing food and water shortages – making them vulnerable to disease and malnutrition. Since 1981, we’ve been working to help 15 million vulnerable children in the country. We are running many long-term projects including working with child refugees in Tanzania, from Burundi and the DRC, making sure they’re protected and healthy.

Our work in

Uganda

World Vision Uganda started in 1986 to tackle the causes of poverty and malnutrition following the war. The challenge is hard: the majority of people are subsistence farmers and many Ugandans live in extreme poverty. We support families to lift themselves out of poverty for good, training farmers on improved methods and setting up community savings groups.

Our work in

Zambia

Two key areas of our work in Zambia are water – as less than half of families in rural areas can access clean water, and child protection – because one in three girls will be married or pregnant before the age of 18 years. We have supported the development of hundreds of child protection committees and children's councils, empowering youth 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.

Our work in

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 is committed to partnering with the people of Zimbabwe to improve their lives and has provided emergency assistance, increased access to education, supported the construction of water systems and focussed on agricultural development, loan programmes for Zimbabwean entrepreneurs and HIV and AIDS education.

Support our work in Africa

You can help transform the lives of the most vulnerable children in Africa:

Sponsored child in Niger smiles as she washes her hands from a clean water tap

Sponsor a child in Africa

Change a child’s life for good.

Donate

Help children around the world survive, recover from trauma, and rebuild a future.

Four children and an adult clapping and celebrating in front of their hut in Malawi

How you can help

Choose how you want to have an extraordinary, positive impact on vulnerable children's lives.

The war has caused immeasurable damage both physically and psychologically, but I work to help these girls and boys become children again.

Christine Ngbaazande

WV Social Reintegration Coordinator in South Sudan

Sponsor a child in Africa

Child Sponsorship is a unique relationship that brings real hope and a life-affirming experience. When you sponsor a child, you’ll help them move from surviving to thriving. We identify the child’s core needs and use your donation to provide these, keeping you updated on their progress all the way.

Tell me more

Ugandan girl smiles and gesticulates to someone off camera, sitting in a chair outside in a chair with a school in the background

Child Sponsorship

Elizabeth's Story

"I remember, when I was about 10 years, I advised my elder sisters against early relationships with boys. They would laugh at me but I remained steadfast and determined to get myself a better life. I knew education was the only thing that could get me there,” says Elizabeth from Uganda. Despite her best intentions, the biting poverty at her home made her ambition seem unlikely. "At one point I lost hope of ever attaining an education,” she recalls. But then she met Anne, a World Vision staff member who registered her for child sponsorship.

Ugandan teacher smiles as she sits in a circle of students, outside on white plastic chairs with their school in the background

Child Sponsorship

Elizabeth's Story

Once enrolled in World Vision's child sponsorship programme, Elizabeth’s life took a different twist. “My sponsor sent me [a special gift of] money which I used to buy a cow. It was my most treasured asset." Once in school, she made sure her time was well-spent and this reflected in her impressive academic performance. “I finished my last two years of primary school on a school bursary because of my good performance,” she says with a chuckle. "And when I lacked school fees, I sold the cow, which had given birth and the cows had multiplied. That is how I was able to complete high school."

Ugandan girl and her teacher smile at someone sitting to the right of the camera, as they sit outside in white plastic chairs with their school in the background

Child Sponsorship

Elizabeth's Story

Elizabeth worked hard and finished with a first-class diploma after finishing secondary school. She immediately got a teaching job at a secondary school in Soroti town where she teaches Agriculture. “I am happy,” Elizabeth said. “I never expected that I would at one time be working before students.” At 24, Elizabeth is already a role model and inspiring her students, especially the girls she teaches, to aim higher. “I feel extremely humbled to have students that look up to me,” she said recalling an incident when a student said, “I admire you because you’re young and earning money.”

A Ugandan teacher in a blue blazer and white shirt, leaning on the edge of her white plastic chair, smiles to someone off camera as she sits outside

Child Sponsorship

Elizabeth's Story

Elizabeth is also happy to see herself as self-reliant and playing a positive role in her family. “I now support my family with basic necessities like food and fees for my young siblings. When my income increases, I hope to do more for them,” she said with a smile. She looks forward to advancing her education but also to make her family better. "I want my younger siblings to complete school too because I have seen how education can change one’s life."

I want to sponsor a child like Elizabeth

Protect children in the most dangerous places in Africa

World Vision has a presence in almost 100 countries so we can act quickly to help children. We help them to survive by providing essentials like food, water and shelter; to recover from trauma they experienced, and to rebuild their future. This lifesaving work is only possible because generous individuals support Childhood Rescue with regular donations, meaning we can support children when their need is greatest.

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Responding to emergencies

World Vision in action

Your support and World Vision’s reach have been vital during the COVID-19 pandemic. With misinformation and fear rife, acting quickly and being trusted by communities has been essential for keeping people safe.

Our partnerships with faith and community leaders, and our practice of employing local staff, have been critical to this work. Our experience with Ebola and Zika viruses showed that when trusted leaders engage with their communities, real breakthroughs can be achieved in slowing the spread of disease.

This trust is vital during a pandemic response. In Malawi, some communities still didn't believe that they could contract COVID-19. After awareness campaigns were conducted with faith leaders and local staff, these communities are now adopting preventive measures like putting on face masks and washing of hands.

I want to join the response

More about our work

Thanks to the faithful support of people like you, our unique community-based model, refined and expanded over our 70-year history, can focus on key areas to ensure that all children, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender experience the fullness of life.

Our work is driven by a relentless desire to transform the lives of children so we partner with governments, peer organisations, institutional donors and businesses so together, we can have a greater impact in the lives of the families we serve. You can learn more about them and our work below.