At its heart, integration is not a technical exercise; it is a human one.

As a humanitarian worker, I have seen how a child’s well-being is shaped by many forces at the same time. A girl who lacks food or basic hygiene items cannot learn well in school.

A child facing climate shocks may miss school or miss out on healthcare, but climate response alone won’t solve that. She needs education systems that adapt, health services that reach her, and protection mechanisms that keep her safe during crises. These realities overlap every single day, and they show us that working together across sectors is no longer optional.

When we design around children, the need for true integration becomes impossible to ignore. Health, education, protection, livelihoods, hygiene and sanitation, peace and the environment sectors must work together as one system of care. Integration isn’t about efficiency; it’s about dignity, survival, and giving Ethiopia’s children a real chance to thrive.

At its heart, integration is not a technical exercise; it is a human one. A child’s well-being depends on many parts of their life working together, and our responses should reflect that simple truth.

Many of us struggle with integration, not because we lack strategy or structure, but because, at a human level, it asks more of us than our systems often acknowledge. True integration means letting go of control, sharing ownership, and trusting colleagues who may approach their work differently. It touches on identity and professional pride, stirring quiet fears that our expertise might be diluted or our role diminished.

It also demands humility: the recognition that no single sector can meet a child’s needs alone. And it requires a willingness to work in ways that can feel slower, more relational, and less predictable than the siloed practices we are used to. Integration calls for patience, empathy, and comfort with complexity. It asks us to resist the pull of familiar boundaries and instead lean into shared purposes. These are deeply human challenges. Naming them is not a weakness; it’s a necessary step toward building systems that truly serve children.

As a protection expert, I see this truth every day: when children are at the centre, accountability shifts, policy becomes more grounded, and impact is measured in lives transformed, not activities completed.

As World Vision Ethiopia launches the Five-Year Strategy, let us ask ourselves this question: If children’s lives are interconnected, shouldn’t our responses be too?

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By  Mekdes Ashenafi , Protection -Technical Lead, World Vision Ethiopia