Recent Posts

Tipping points: First famine of the 21st century in Somalia, East Africa

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Guest blogger in Disaster Relief

Editor’s note: Following yesterday’s UN declaration of famine in two regions of southern Somalia, Tristan Clements, country program manager with World Vision’s humanitarian emergency affairs team in Australia, comments on the complexities of drought and hunger, and their impact on vulnerable communities in East Africa. We hear the word “famine” a lot, particularly in reference to Africa and food-related problems. In fact, the word is often overused. Famine is a very specific event — a really, really terrible one — in which we see lots of people of all ages dying as a result of food shortages. For the United Nations, the word has a technical definition of two or more people out of 10,000 dying each day, and acute...

‘We may be poor, but we’re not stupid’ — the reality of life in Africa

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Bwalya Melu, World Vision U.S. in Conversations

The reality of life in Africa | World VIsion Blog

Stories are powerful. They can bring hope, or despair. Laughter, or sorrow. And, as we who work for World Vision and other humanitarian agencies know very, very well, stories can educate and enlighten people. They can help achieve a lot of good. One woman whose story last week received a lot of accolades and criticism is Zimbabwean writer NoViolet Bulawayo. Her book, “Hitting Budapest,” has won what many consider to be Africa’s top award for literature, the Caine Prize. “The language of ‘Hitting Budapest’ crackles,” the prize’s leading judge commented to CNN. “Here we encounter…a gang reminiscent of ‘Clockwork Orange.’ But these are children, poor and violated and hungry. This is a story with moral power and weight [that] has...

Top 5 FAQs about child sponsorship

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Cleo Lujan-Eckhart, WV Donor Contact Services in Child Sponsorship

Top 5 FAQ's about sponsorship | World Vision Blog

If you’ve ever called or emailed World Vision with a question about your sponsored child, your online account, the mail we just sent you, what jobs and volunteer opportunities are available, or how World Vision is responding to the latest natural disaster you saw on the news, you’ve talked to us. We’re the team of donor contact representatives who answer your calls and respond to your emails. And its each one of those calls and emails that connects us with you and has showed us just how much you support World Vision and how much you love your sponsored child. Its an honor for us to be able to help make your sponsorship experience a rewarding one. In an effort...

The sound that changes everything [video]

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Josh Batchelder, WV videographer in Advocacy

The sound that changes everything | World Vision Blog

“I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way.” The words from this 80s pop song by Whitney Houston have been looping through my mind for the past five days. I’ve spent the past week looking through the viewfinder of my camera and seeing the faces of teenagers staring back at me — their eyes shining with hope and their mouths speaking words that will ignite change in their communities. World Vision’s Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) concluded their fifth annual summit last Friday in Washington, D.C. As the summit’s videographer, I witnessed teens from all over the country speak of their diverse struggles, unique cultural challenges, and the problems they face in bringing...

The 5 W’s on drought and hunger in East Africa

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Peter Warski in Disaster Relief

The number of people affected by devastating drought and hunger in East Africa, also known as the Horn of Africa, has catapulted from 7 million in March to nearly 13 million now. Vulnerable children and families are subject to extreme and potentially deadly malnutrition as livestock perish, vital crops are destroyed, and diseases increase. Informed by these disturbing statistics — as well as reports from our field offices, international media, partner agencies, and the World Vision international partnership emergency response team — we’ve compiled the following information, which answers the who, what, when, where, and why of the drought and food crisis in East Africa. Expect more posts to come concerning this crisis. WHO is affected? An estimated 13 million...