Engineering students like Viacheslav are navigating their own trauma while carrying the literal responsibility for the future reconstruction of Ukraine.

Explore World Vision’s latest policy brief on families returning to Ukraine and Syria. Discover the complex trade-offs between safety, reunification, and child wellbeing.

New WV policy brief reveals that long after displacement ends, many children continue to face insecurity, hunger, disrupted education and psychological distress.

After surviving conflict, displacement and prolonged school closures in North Kivu, 12-year-old Kelly is now facing a new threat: Ebola. Her story highlights the resilience of children caught between war and disease, and the importance of keeping education alive during crises. Through World Vision’s Integrated Response to Emergency Education in Eastern DRC project, supported by Education Cannot Wait, thousands of children have returned to learning in safer and more supportive school environments. As fears of a new Ebola outbreak grow, Kelly’s determination to continue her education reflects both the hopes and vulnerabilities of children in eastern DRC, underscoring the urgent need to protect their right to learn and thrive.

4.2 million returnees are currently living in Ukraine, including 1.55 million people – 37% of all returnees – in frontline areas where active conflict is ongoing, raising urgent concerns that for millions of children, “going home” does not yet mean reaching safety, World Vision warns.

After losing her husband, Rebecca struggled to provide for her five children while living in a fragile home vulnerable to heavy rains in Karawa, North Ubangi Province. Through World Vision’s livelihoods support programme, she received resources to start a small business, enabling her to build a safer house, support her children’s education, and invest in livestock farming. Today, her children attend school regularly and pursue their dreams with renewed hope. Rebecca’s story highlights how livelihoods interventions are helping vulnerable families in Karawa build resilience, improve living conditions, and create brighter futures for their children.

In Gemena, South-Ubangi Province, a mother’s determination, combined with World Vision’s Positive Deviance Hearth approach, helped her underweight daughter regain her health and thrive. After learning practical nutrition skills and receiving livelihood support, Médiatrice transformed her family’s well-being, creating a sustainable source of income and ensuring better nutrition for her children. Her story highlights how integrating nutrition education with economic empowerment can build lasting resilience and give children a healthier future.

In northwest Syria, displaced children face hunger, lost identity, and no education—while shrinking aid threatens a generation’s future.

World Vision, through the WALIP Project funded by the U.S. Government, is helping conflict-affected children in North Kivu, eastern DRC, rebuild their lives through Child-Friendly Spaces. In Kanyaruchinya, nearly 900 children participate in educational, recreational, and psychosocial activities each week in a safe environment that promotes healing and growth. According to Moyo Kanghezani, Chief of Party of the WALIP Project, football has become a powerful tool for helping children cope with trauma, regain confidence, and envision a brighter future. Inspired by the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and role models such as Cédric Bakambu, children like Ruphin and Kevine are pursuing their dreams while developing resilience and hope. The Child-Friendly Spaces demonstrate how investing in child protection, learning, and well-being can transform the lives of children affected by conflict.

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.