CHARITY EFFORTS

Meet J.. He is a 9-year-old boy from Desarrollo Bienestar Del Nino II, Colombia. J. is growing up in one of the poorest communities in Columbia. Rice, beans and banana are typical of the local diet. Homes here are made of wood, cement and scrap material. The soil is volcanic and the temperatures are mild. J. lives with his parents and his sister. His father is a driver and his mother is a teacher. Even with J.’s parents working hard to provide for J. and his sister, they are still struggling to make ends meet.

Decades of internal violence and conflict in Colombia officially ended in 2016 with a ceasefire deal between the government and guerrilla forces. In 2017, the U.N. established a mission to help former rebel combatants reintegrate into political, social, and economic life. The government’s “Voices of Peace and Reconciliation” initiative is helping political groups work together alongside the militants so Columbia’s people can start to build long-sought stability. Unfortunately, domestic violence is still a widespread issue. – World Vision

Our support of J. means that his family will be able to provide food, shelter, and an education until they become self-sufficient, so they can provide a sustainable future for J..

S., born in Transylvania, Romania on August 2nd, is a 10-year-old boy who lives with his family of 5 which consists of his Father, Mother, Brother, and Sister. S. is growing up in a rural area where the terrain is sandy and rocky. His home, along with many other in his community, is made up of brick and mud. His parents are working hard as factory workers to provide for their children, but unfortunately despite their efforts, it is still not enough.

Lucky for S., he’s got a family that will do anything to provide for him and his siblings. When he’s not in school, S. loves to play with all his toys. As you would suspect, being the eldest of the siblings, he’s the one who gets dictates how long each of them get to play with is toys!

Our support will allow World Vision to be able to send S. and his siblings new toys to play with as well as food, clothing, and anything their family needs to raise a family.

A. is a beautiful 6 year old girl from Tirana, Albania. Her favorite thing to do is play hide and seek with her friends from school. A. lives with her mother, who is a teacher, and her brother. Although A.’s mother is working hard to provide for A. and her brother, she is struggling to provide her children with the proper resources due to low wages and a struggling economy.

A. is growing up in an area of Albania that is flat, with no lakes or rivers. The community is on the outskirts of a city, and many residents are poor and unemployed. Their single floor homes are constructed of stones and sometimes logs or sticks, with mud for mortar. Bread and dairy products are also staple foods. Summers are hot and dry but the winters are mild and wet. The quality of education is poor, largely due to crowded classrooms, unqualified teachers, lack of equipment, and poor infrastructure.

Our support of A. means she will be able to receive a formal education despite the current state of the situation. Her family will be able to receive financial assistance to help cover some expenses due to lost wages.

M. was born in Rio Verde, Ecuador on May 10th, 2008 and lives with his parents and one sister. His father is a fisherman whose main goal is to be able to feed his family, unfortunately, times are hard, and additional support is needed. A typical home in Rio Verde is constructed of cement blocks with a zinc roof. Families survive mostly on homegrown potatoes, corn, oats, rice and beans.

Many people in M.’ city earn money by selling crops at a local market, yet most parents still struggle to adequately provide for their families. As parents are overwhelmed by financial challenges, many children and teenagers are being neglected. Malnutrition is one of the main health issues in Rio Verde, a result of parents being unaware of age-appropriate nutrition and feeding practices.

M. loves to play any sport that involves a ball, unfortunately in Rio Verde, there are few safe places to engage in sports or arts, and many resort to drinking and gambling for entertainment by their early teens.

Our support means that M. can continue playing sports and not have to worry about where is next meal will come from. World Vision will make sure M. does not suffer from the widespread malnutrition in his area.

M. was born in Armenia on December 12, 2007. She is an only child who lives with her mother and father. M.’s living conditions are extremely poor due to the 1988 earthquake that destroyed the city of Gyumri. Housing is still very impaired and decaying. Apartments have bad sanitation and no heat when it is needed. The usual diet consists of potatoes, bread, noodles, beans, oil and greens. Meat and fruit are scarce.

Although M.’s situation is dire, she loves to draw and tell stories to pass her time. Due to Armenia’s corrupt government, it is difficult for the youth to advance in an area where negative cultural biases against women contribute to high levels of gender violence, especially toward young girls. M. writes to us every year telling us about all the new things she has learned in school. She also loves to send us her artwork and we hang it proudly in our office break room.

Our support means that M. will be able to express her creativity freely as we support her family financially. She will be provided food, clothing, and art supplies to encourage her creative mind.

E. is 9 years old and lives with his parents, 2 brothers and 1 sister. His parents struggle to provide for the family. His father is a farm laborer and his mother is a farm laborer. Despite their efforts, it is difficult to meet the family’s needs.
E. is growing up in an agricultural area in eastern Burundi. Though people mainly try to earn a living by raising livestock or farming crops like bananas and maize, most farmers lack training and resources to improve their production, making it difficult to produce enough to eat and sell. More than half of kids under 5 aren’t developing at healthy rates because they’re not getting enough nutritious food. Families also lack access to clean water and latrines, and children suffer from preventable waterborne illnesses without proper sanitation. People have few opportunities to get healthcare, nutrition information, or medicine. Parents don’t prioritize education, and they have low awareness of how vital it is to breaking the cycle of poverty. Too many children must drop out to help make ends meet at home, and those who do stay in school face overcrowded classrooms and dilapidated buildings without infrastructure like running water. Family structures aren’t strong, and kids aren’t well-protected from violence or abuse, even at home.
E. is not in school at this time but his favorite subject is reading. He helps at home by carrying water. He likes to play soccer. He is in satisfactory health.

Our support will help E. and his family get better access to resources so they can lift themselves out of poverty. Parents will receive training and tools to improve their farming, and they’ll be able to feed their children more healthy food. Families will be equipped to build latrines and learn healthy hygiene behaviors to reduce illness. As parents and community leaders understand the importance of education, kids will be supported to pursue their studies, and classrooms will be better set up to help them succeed. Through community advocacy networks, people will gain skills to protect children from harm and exploitation.

S. is 13 years old and lives with her parents, 3 brothers and 2 sisters. Her parents struggle to provide for the family. Her father is a daily wage earner and her mother is unemployed. Despite their efforts, it is difficult to meet the family’s needs.
S. is growing up in a community in the Palestinian Territories. Family homes are constructed of bricks and cement, and are built close together. The typical diet is rice, vegetables, fruit, and meat/ chicken when available. Temperatures vary with the season, hot in summer and very cold in winter. The terrain is hilly.

S. is in primary school and her favorite subject is reading. She helps at home with picking up toys. She likes to play with dolls. She is in satisfactory health.

Your sponsorship commitment will help provide S. and her community with clean water, health clinics, renovated schools, and educational supplies. Your support will provide emergency food, safe places for children to play, and resources for children with disabilities.

D. is 11 years old and lives with his parents and has no brothers or sisters. His parents struggle to provide for the family as they are both unemployed. Despite their efforts, it is difficult to meet the family’s needs.
D. is growing up in a poor area in Uganda. The HIV and AIDS crisis has severely damaged the social fabric of the entire community, leaving many children without parents. Many families live in small mud brick homes with tin or thatched roofs. A typical diet consists of cassava, maize, sweet potatoes, beans, and vegetables. Located near Lake Victoria, the terrain is hilly and uneven, and the climate is relatively mild.
He helps at home by carrying water. He likes to play ball games. He is in satisfactory health.

Our support will provide D. and his community with improved access to clean water and healthcare services as well as training in nutrition, hygiene, and disease prevention. Our contribution will also provide desks for schools, and advocacy for children with disabilities, including wheelchairs and access to education.