Growing up in rural Kenya, Sam Irungu knew the daily struggle of collecting dirty water from the early age of 5. Today, he works as a software engineer for World Vision! He attributes this change to God: an answer to his mother’s prayer to redeem the life of God’s children for a better tomorrow.
News & Stories
![Dira, left, encourages her 12-year-old sister, Phinat, right, in her studies. Dira is the sixth of eight children and had to leave school in the second grade so she could scavenge for junk to help her family earn money after her father died. Later, with World Vision’s help, she got nonformal education and vocational training and now runs a hairdresser shop in her town of Battambang, Cambodia. Because of her experience, she wants her younger siblings to have a different life, including Phinat. “I want them to study until [they] finish class,” she says. “I don’t want Phinat to scavenge because she is too young. Scavengers face risk, such as rape and traffic accidents.” Phinat has the second-highest grades in her class of 30 students. “My older sister encourages me to study hard,” Phinat says. “She doesn’t allow me to pick up junk.”](https://wvusstatic.com/www/uploads/2017/04/OTG-Email-Hero-Early-6-Ed-Overcome-3-Cambodia-D055-0763-31_419222-crop-640x400.jpg)
From the Field
10 girls who overcame the odds to attend school
Every day millions of girls don’t get to go to school. These 10 were determined to go anyway. Learn how you can help girls education odds improve.
From the Field
Former sponsored child reflects on fulfilled dreams
Child sponsorship opened doors for a Bangladeshi child to pursue his dream of a career in education and impact his community.
Voices
Walking with the poor: Solving the global water crisis
Rich Stearns reflects on how when you partner with World Vision, you are walking with the poor. Mothers, fathers, and children feel your love and support across the miles. And with that comes a sense of God’s love. Knowing they’re not alone in their struggles lightens their load.
From the Field
10 awe-inspiring weather photos for World Meteorological Day
On World Meteorological Day join us as we behold the beauty of our skies and revere God, the Artist who set it all into place.
From the Field
World Water Day: Every 10 seconds one person gets clean water
As we commemorate World Water Day, March 22, World Vision celebrates reaching its 2020 goal to bring clean water to one person every 10 seconds. Well-drilling teams, engineers, geologists, and community leaders in dozens of countries worked tirelessly through 2016 to accomplish that goal three years ahead of schedule. Ultimately, we hope to provide access to clean water to every person in every community where we work around the world.
Voices
Bringing happiness to a child named Happy
Many names help give meaning to a person’s life. For International Day of Happiness, we’re celebrating children around the world with the name Happy! Hear what makes some of our Happy-named staff happy, and see a fun way that you can bring a little happiness to the world today.
Voices
Facing responsibility: The face of a refugee child
In 2013, World Vision President Rich Stearns met 10-year-old Haya in Jordan. The song she sang to him that day became a pivotal moment in his life: “Do you ever think of the children of Syria?” Hear from Rich about the impact of that moment, and three and a half years later, join us in reconnecting with Haya.
From the Field
Syrian refugee children use art to express pain and loss
In a Child-Friendly Space in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, young Syrian refugees use art to express their feelings of loss and hope.
From the Field
How’d they do that: Make a tip tap for handwashing
Contraptions called tip taps, which provide clean water for handwashing, are simple to build with easy-to-find materials. Try making one with your family!
Change Makers
From Syria to Seattle: When worlds collide
They did not know each other, but simultaneously, their lives were plunging into an abyss. Seattle software programmer Cari Conklin was on a collision course with the Alhamdens, one of the millions of Syrian families caught in the crossfire of Syria’s civil war.
Voices
Podcast with members of Foster the People, MTV’s ‘Scream’
In this podcast, hear about a trip with members of Foster the People and MTV’s “Scream” to see the moment when water arrived in a Ugandan community.
