Monthly Archives: March 2012

Japan quake, one year later: Quiet persistence amid long recovery

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Hideaki Nakagawa in Disaster Relief

On March 11, 2011, the day of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, Hideaki Nakagawa was being interviewed for a role at World Vision. Now an employee, he was a team leader for the meal preparation spaces established at evacuation centers for the disaster’s survivors. Here, he shares his thoughts and memories regarding the emergency response efforts of one year ago. * * * What I experienced on the afternoon of March 11, 2011, and in the days that followed, vividly come to mind as I write this — images of young students crying, while clinging to each other on the shaking patio of the World Vision office in downtown Tokyo; scenes of television news footage that showed...

Standing side-by-side with northern Uganda

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Nathaniel Hurd in Conversations

You may have noticed that there’s been a lot of talk recently about Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). That’s a good thing. Kony and the LRA terrorized northern Uganda for 20 years. They continue to terrorize the people of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan, and Central African Republic. It’s now time for you to harness your attention and passion: Act to do the most good for the children most hurt by Kony’s campaign of terror. The LRA continues to kill, maim, and abduct children in DRC, South Sudan, and Central African Republic. Mercifully, though, peace has come to northern Uganda. We now have the opportunity to join hand-in-hand with the people of this...

A child’s open letter: “I was lost, but now am found”

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Guest blogger in Stories

An open letter from Albania: 'I was lost, but now am found' | World Vision Blog

Bukra Sala, a 14-year-old girl living in an area of poverty in Albania, shares her young life’s story — one of struggles, pain, and loss that turned to hope and renewed purpose with World Vision’s help. * * * Dear friend, My name is Bukra, which, in my language, Albanian, means “beautiful.” I am 14 years old. I live in a poverty-stricken suburb of Albania’s capital city, Tirana. I was born in this poor place in 1998, and I still live here. About six years ago, I remember my life as normal — at least compared to other young children in the area. I had a happy family of two parents and five children. I am...

International Women’s Day: Having it all in Cambodia

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Kari Costanza in Microfinance

Having it all in Cambodia | World Vision Blog

Today is International Women’s Day. We honor the remarkable achievements of women like Konitha, a mother and entrepreneur in Cambodia who used World Vision business loans to build a life of dignity and hope for herself and her children. * * * When I was 12, my mother bought me Helen Gurley Brown’s book, “Having It All.” The book offered advice on how a woman could succeed at everything — love, work, and family. My mother knew even then that her overachieving daughter would have difficulty choosing between having a family and having a career....

“Without your help, we are hopeless”

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Adel Sarkozi in Disaster Relief

Imagine yourself in a dry, hot, dusty landscape, where water sources are scarce, and where parents don’t know whether they have enough food for their children for the day — or where tomorrow’s food will even come from. This is a glimpse into the West African country of Mali, where the regional drought and food crisis is intensifying quickly....