In many rural parts of Zambia, schools struggle just to get enough water. This causes big problems like poor sanitation, hygiene issues, and limited chances for farming or other activities that could help students and their communities. That is how things used to be at Kasamba Secondary School in Zambia.

The Partnering for Sustainable Education Outcomes (PARES) project is disseminating the Multisectoral Mechanism for Prevention, Reporting, Referral, and Response to Violence Against Children in schools in the provinces of Nampula and Zambézia. This initiative covers 74 primary schools out of 157 that are currently assisted by the project, with prospects of expansion to all targeted schools in later stages.

Zeinabou Agadogo, a 70-year-old mother living in Guiladjé, Niger, has long suffered from extreme poverty, exacerbated by food insecurity and climate change. Before World Vision's intervention, her family lived in extreme poverty, marked by the loss of a child to famine. Thanks to World Vision's donation of four goats, her life has radically changed: the goats have multiplied, allowing her to rebuild her hut, improve her family's diet, and regain her dignity. She expresses deep gratitude to the organization for transforming her life.

Sadi Alhassan, a 60-year-old widow displaced from Torodi, overcame her challenges through her involvement in a savings group supported by World Vision Niger. Trained to make soap, couscous, and sesame oil, she turned her skills into a source of income for her family. Her group of 25 women generated 200,000 CFA francs, enabling microcredit and solidarity donations. Sadi was able to send her daughters to school and improve her household hygiene. Her journey embodies the power of female empowerment through solidarity and training.

In Tshitshi Madabe, a group of determined women who once stitched by hand with little to show for their efforts are now running thriving businesses and training the next generation.

Sadi Alhassan, a 60-year-old widow displaced from Torodi, overcame her challenges through her involvement in a savings group supported by World Vision Niger. Trained to make soap, couscous, and sesame oil, she turned her skills into a source of income for her family. Her group of 25 women generated 200,000 CFA francs, enabling microcredit and solidarity donations. Sadi was able to send her daughters to school and improve her household hygiene. Her journey embodies the power of female empowerment through solidarity and training.

This article highlights a week-long training workshop held in Kananga, Kasaï Central, where more than 30 itinerant inspectors from the Ministry of Education were trained on World Vision’s Unlock Literacy 2.0 approach. Designed to tackle low reading comprehension rates among primary school pupils, where only 9% of Grade 3 children can read with understanding, the training equipped inspectors with the skills to integrate the method into the national curriculum, support teacher training, and provide ongoing coaching. Participants expressed strong commitment to applying the lessons learned, underscoring the programme’s role in strengthening foundational skills and promoting inclusive, quality education in the DRC.