Sponsorship helps communities bring down barriers holding children back. Across the world, children that once faced daunting challenges are now rising strong—empowered by resilience, driven by hope, and lifted through the life-changing gift of sponsorship.
Each story reveals how access to health care, clean water, education, nutrition, and livelihoods can transform a life and others around them. In BIG ways. These are their journeys—from struggle to strength, and from survival to thriving futures.
1.
Having hope above floodwaters (Peru)
2.
Nothing can break Omar’s spirit (Lebanon)
3.
Education begins so everything can change (Nepal)
4.
Harvesting health for community growth (Tanzania)
Having hope above floodwaters
Sarai’s life is being transformed through sponsorship as her dignity and hope are restored.
Sarai lives with her father Raul, mother Sara, and five siblings in a home they built near the Amazon River in Peru. It sits high to stay above the floodwaters that sweep the land underneath it.
The family does not have water or a sanitation facility at home. Raul travels to the city on his motor taxi, the family’s main source of income, to buy water for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Providing for his family is difficult, especially with the added challenge of Sarai and her brother’s communication-related disabilities.
The monsoon season brings even greater risks and hardships for the family. River flooding can bring up to two metres of water into the city, destroying crops and spreading waste through the streets. Outbreaks of malaria and dengue are common, and people in flooded areas must navigate the unstable timber planks supporting their homes. This ongoing hardship forces many families further into poverty, with children especially at risk due to the lack of nutritious food and increased exposure to disease.
But sponsorship has been helping the community address the most pressing issues affecting children. In 2023, more than 1,000 children were registered to the sponsorship programme with another 3,000 added in 2024, including Sarai and her two brothers. Through this support, many children have received hygiene kits filled with essentials like soap and toothbrushes to support their health.
Sarai treasures her soap and small towel! It’s the first time she’s had these items of her own. These small changes bring a sense of dignity and hope to children and families. With continued support, Raul and Sara are hopeful their children will grow up with greater safety, security, and opportunity.
Nothing can break Omar’s spirit
Today, you can find Omar in the garden—a hobby he quite enjoys! “I like to plant everything,” he says. “I have planted tomatoes, kidney beans, pumpkin, melon, and potatoes.”
Omar, a sponsored child in Lebanon, has been dealing with ongoing health challenges his whole life. He was born with an opening above his eye—a channel that was protecting his brain from a growing mass. The mass also impacted his eye and tear gland. To date, Omar has undergone four surgeries because of it and doctors have since discovered another mass above his eye.
Amid his ongoing health challenges, Omar suffered a serious accident when his bicycle struck a pile of rocks. Due to the medication he takes, his bones are more fragile and prone to fractures. The impact of the accident left him with a broken arm that required surgery involving the placement of metal rods.
“I contacted World Vision, and they told me they would cover the (medical) fees,” his mother says. “If that wasn’t the case, Omar wouldn’t have been able to have surgery,” The surgery would have cost Omar’s mother approximately $1,600 CAD.
Despite the many challenges Omar has faced, his resilience continues to shine through. With support from World Vision’s Preventative Healthcare Package, he was able to get the urgent care he needed, care that would have otherwise been out of reach. Thanks to this vital support, Omar can focus on healing, growing, and a brighter future.
Education begins so everything can change
Sponsorship helps Aanchal (right, pink jacket) spend less time traveling to school, allowing her to focus more on her studies and help her parents with tasks around the house.
Aanchal’s family is one of the most vulnerable in their community in Nepal. Her father, Raj, is a seasonal worker, often traveling to India for work. Her mother, Janaki, makes an income doing household labour in the neighbourhood. Even with both of her parents working, their earnings were still not sufficient for the family of five.
Aanchal didn’t attend school, not only because her parents couldn’t afford it, but also because they didn’t understand the value of education. She often stayed with her uncle in India, helping with chores around the house. But, when Aanchal was home, her parents received counseling that helped them recognize how important education is for their daughter’s future. Encouraged by this support, Raj and Janaki made the decision to enroll Aanchal in school.
Additional support came through a special gift sent to Aanchal by her sponsor. With it, the family purchased goats, which they raise and sell to generate income. This new source of livelihood allowed them to afford essentials they once struggled with—nutritious food, clean clothing, and school supplies for their children. Her sponsor also helped Aanchal buy a bicycle, giving her the freedom to travel easily around her village, especially to school.
With the ongoing support of her sponsor and her parents’ renewed commitment to her future, she has a chance to break the cycle of poverty and build a brighter path forward. What once seemed out of reach, is now becoming her everyday reality.
Joanitha is a member of her school’s nutrition club. The school is surrounded by fields of crops! She loves the garden and hopes to be a nutritionist when she grows up.
For many children in her community, the garden doesn’t necessarily mean they have enough food to eat every day or are growing up with a healthy, diverse diet. Drought is common and most families rely on rainfall for their crops. Yet, even with a good harvest, many parents don’t understand the importance of nutrition and balanced diets. Some children also walk long distances to school (sometimes as far as 6 km), going hungry through the day and unable to focus on their studies.
Good nutrition is essential to a child’s health, well-being, and overall development. Four years ago, when World Vision’s sponsorship programme partnered with 10 local schools, they launched a nutrition club in each one to support this vital need.
Through games and demonstrations, students learn about healthy diets and why they matter. Children also learn to identify locally available foods that are also affordable for their families. Thanks to the vegetable gardens (Joanitha’s favorite feature), students have access to fresh produce. The gardens are supported by water tanks and irrigation systems, and students are taught how to care for them independently. In turn, they take this knowledge home, encouraging their families to start their own vegetable gardens. It’s a win-win for both health and self-reliance!
In 2023, the sponsorship programme helped the schools establish the start of school meals. Now, all students, especially those who travel long distances, are provided a healthy meal each day made with vegetables from the school gardens.
Sarai, Omar, Aanchal, and Joanitha remind us that with the right support, every child has the power to overcome obstacles and build brighter tomorrows.
Sponsorship is so much more than a monthly donation. It’s a bridge to opportunity, health, and hope. These children carry with them the promise of a better world, fueled by courage, nurtured by care, and empowered to dream bigger than ever before.
Written by Christina Cook with files from Arlene Bax, Elissa Webster, Lourdes Cruzado Alvarez, Hicham Najem, Ben Adams, and Ben Chandler.