World Vision believes in God’s calling to care for children, to protect them and help them flourish. We believe that children should have full lives. And when they do, they smile, learn, explore, and enjoy just being kids.
The crystal blue water of the Philippines brings relief and merriment to boys on a scorching day. Their leisure is due in part to an uncle’s thriving fishing business, which wasn’t a stable source of income until World Vision’s VisionFund gave the uncle a loan. Now Deodora and his wife, Amelia, provide work for many other Bohol fishermen, giving other local families the income they need to send their children to school — and allow them time to play. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Jon Snyder)
In northwestern Vietnam’s Nam Din village, smiles light up the classroom as kindergartners listen to each other’s heartbeats. Here in this isolated area, World Vision built new classrooms and trained teachers to draw out children’s sense of wonder and creativity — including how their hearts work. Who knows what remarkable things a child might achieve with a strong mind and a good heart? (©2011 World Vision/photo by Le Thiem Xuan)
Laughter rings out across the field as these Romanian children sail down a slide together, piling up at the bottom. Just a few years ago, the only places they had to play were their modest homes or muddy village lanes. To the children’s delight, World Vision built them a playground — one of 11 constructed in Ialomita, a low-income area in southeast Romania. One parent reports that “the playground has become the most desired place for all children.” (©2010 World Vision/photo by Emanuela Dragomir)
A raucous ride down a dusty hill on a homemade skateboard is a little taste of heaven for these boys growing up in Kengtung, Myanmar. World Vision works alongside thousands of children in Kengtung, including these boys. The race is on to provide them with life’s essentials — and a strong run into a promising future. (©2012 World Vision/photo by Khaing Min Htoo)
Red earth and blue sky provide a dazzling backdrop for Mozambican girls lost in the joys of jumping rope. For years, these girls and their quiet community suffered from regular bouts of malaria. They had no protection from the marauding mosquitoes that foraged in clusters each night — until World Vision provided families with insecticide-treated bednets. Now children are healthy enough to attend school regularly, and, of course, raise a little dust jumping rope. (©2014 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren)
As the protracted Syria civil war rages on, child refugees in Jordan still find reasons to smile. These girls attend classes at the women’s center, a World Vision partner in Irbid that is giving Syrian girls the treasured opportunity to continue learning. Because the classroom also represents a measure of normalcy, the young scholars are happy to be whisked away to their makeshift school. (©2013 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren)
Badal, a sponsored child, proudly displays his artwork, which he created at the World Vision Center he visits weekly near his home in Dehli, India. Diagnosed with brain damage as a young child, the 9-year-old has gained new momentum at the center, expressing himself freely without fear of being stigmatized. As he gains new skills like acting and art, Badal is not just growing in ability and self-assurance. He’s also learning what the power of love can do. (©2014 World Vision/photo by Annila Harris)
Girls worldwide relish their time together, sharing giggles and swapping jokes and stories. In Guatemala, World Vision is working to ensure girls like these are healthy and educated. It’s all part of equipping children as they journey with sure steps into a hope-filled future that continues to resound with laughter. (©2009 World Vision/photo by Evelyn Lopez)
Giant heads of cabbage are reasons to rejoice for two boys who migrated with their family to Ethiopia from war-torn South Sudan. But when the family arrived, the refugees barely survived on the little food they could find. World Vision trained the parents to start and manage a small farm and gave them initial supplies — seeds, hens, tools, and more. Now, as the family gathers around a table filled with wholesome food, they bring with them thankful spirits and new confidence. (©2014 World Vision/photo by Tessema Getahun)
With an expansive expression of joy, 4-year-old Bosnian Sara Besic cuddles a contented chick. In many of Bosnia’s rural enclaves, the simple pleasures of life help to moderate the harsh realities of poverty. Through the World Vision Gift Catalog, generous donors can provide chicks and many other life-giving gifts that make a lasting difference for families in need. (©2010 World Vision/photo by David duChemin)
