To mark the Day of the African Child, hundreds of children in Ngandu, Kinshasa, took to the streets to raise awareness about the importance of safe water, hygiene, and sanitation. Organised by World Vision DRC, the event empowered children to become advocates for healthier communities while encouraging families to adopt good hygiene practices and protect water sources. The celebration highlighted the vital role children can play in driving positive change and promoting a healthier future for all.

Day of the African Child 2026: Every Child Deserves Safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

The article emphasises that before children can learn, play, or thrive, they need access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).

Calls to accelerate universal access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene for children in Africa, addressing gaps harming health, education and protection.

Displacement, civilian casualties, damage to housing and critical infrastructure, and persistent access constraints are affecting humanitarian operations.

Ten-year-old Ayen walks daily to the Sobat River in Anackdiar Payam, where her family, displaced by conflict, relies on unsafe water for all basic needs. The contaminated river water especially during floods causes frequent illness, leaving Ayen often too weak to play. Her mother, Nyajuma, worries as sickness becomes routine for their children. Despite hardship, the community remains resilient but exhausted. Hope is emerging through a World Vision WASH project funded by the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund, which will provide safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services. For families like Ayen’s, access to clean water offers a chance for health, dignity, and a better future.

Flood-resilient sanitation is transforming lives in Mabalane, Mozambique, where improved latrines are helping families like Lucia’s gain dignity, safety and protection from recurring floods.

Mary Ayul, a 30-year-old mother from Nyilwal Boma in Panyikang County, recounts how flooding in March 2026 forced her and her five children to flee their home in the middle of the night when rising Nile waters inundated their village. Displaced to Tonga Payam, Mary faced new challenges, particularly the lack of proper sanitation, which threatened her family’s health and safety. With support from World Vision and funding from the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund, latrines were constructed for affected families, providing safe sanitation and reducing risks such as disease and exposure to dangers in the open. For Mary, the latrine represents more than infrastructure, it restores dignity, protects her children, and brings hope for a healthier future after the loss caused by the floods.

World Vision Venezuela and Colombia continues to monitor the emergency caused by the two earthquakes and calls for collective support to help reduce the growing risks faced by children and their families.

Discover how John Solo’s story of resilience thrives through World Vision’s S4T program, uplifting rural communities and building brighter futures for children in Solomon Islands.