The 2025 Regional East Asia Child Participation Report details the impact of engaging boys and girls in decision-making at local and national levels.

Every morning, Akapelwa carries a stool to school alongside his books at Situnga Primary School in Western Province. The extra weight drains his energy before lessons even begin, leaving little strength left for focus and learning.

Reaksmey’s journey from financial hardship to community leader is transforming lives by expanding access to clean water for families in rural Cambodia.

Like many households in the Meheba Refugee Settlement, Justin and Rebecca's relationship was shaped by deeply rooted cultural norms that positioned Justin as the sole decision-maker in the family. Rebecca's role was largely limited to household responsibilities, with little involvement in financial planning or decision-making.

Sam, a former World Vision-sponsored child who is now an Engineer with World Vision Rwanda, shares how early support in education, healthcare, and basic needs transformed his life by giving him hope, confidence, and the opportunity to dream bigger despite significant personal and financial challenges. Inspired by his experiences growing up in a vulnerable situation, he pursued Civil and Environmental Engineering to help address community challenges such as water and sanitation. After completing his studies through resilience, mentorship, and family support, he chose to return and work with World Vision as a way of giving back, even turning down a more lucrative offer elsewhere. Today, he reflects on the depth of development work behind impact stories and remains committed to empowering communities toward self-reliance, guided by his faith and the belief that life is a continuous journey of growth and service.

Fatima’s journey shows how poultry farming and a kitchen garden helped sustain her family, improve her children's nutrition, and build resilience.

In Zambia’s Mwinilunga District, heavy rains cause erosion and nutrient loss, while changing weather patterns and dry spells challenge farmers to manage water resources effectively.

Children of Situnga Primary School in Senanga District, Western Province, walk to school each day carrying more than books. They carry resilience, courage and a quiet determination to learn, even when learning conditions fail them.

A few months ago, as World Vision Zambia Board Chairperson, I, Mabel Mung'omba, visited Situnga Primary School and saw children learning without basic infrastructure. Together, we broke ground to restore dignity to their classrooms, because no child deserves to sit in such conditions.

Stories of how FMNR and complementary approaches restored landscapes, strengthened livelihoods and built climate resilience in Kenya's Central Rift.