• From Participation to Partnership: Child leaders from 13 countries at APFSD 2026 are moving beyond symbolic roles, inviting regional leaders into a shared co-design process and proposing "Innovation Labs" to bridge the gap between policy and the lived realities of their communities.

From Participation to Partnership: At APFSD 2026, child leaders from World VIsion programmes in 13 countries are moving beyond symbolic roles, inviting regional leaders into a shared co-design process and proposing "Innovation Labs" to bridge the gap between policy and the lived realities of their communities.

As artificial intelligence reshapes platforms at extraordinary speed, are children’s rights keeping pace with the rapid shifts in their own digital world?

Matthew Pickard, Regional Director for World Vision Southern Africa, reflects on Mozambique’s powerful example of post-conflict recovery and resilience. Drawing from personal experience in Niassa Province after the civil war, he emphasises that peace is not solely the product of political agreements—it is built and sustained by communities. Yet, Mozambique’s peace remains fragile. In Cabo Delgado, ongoing insurgency has displaced over 50,000 people since early 2024. He reaffirms that Mozambique’s story underscores a critical development truth: sustainable peace is people-powered. When local leadership, civil society, and governments collaborate, transformation is not only possible—it’s inevitable.

Despite escalating conflict, climate shocks, economic instability and widespread displacement, we reached over 26 million people, including 16.4 million children

The night is long and sleepless for Nana Cissé. At 57, every hour that passes in the dark is a reminder of her anxieties. Since her husband, her rock, was taken by illness eight months ago, she is the only bulwark between her children and the abyss of poverty. Her thoughts are a constant loop: how will she feed them tomorrow?

In Ouallam, 39 community health workers support families daily despite insecurity and scarce resources. According to Souleymane Idrissa, head of the Ouallam health center, trainings provided through the “Strengthening access to care and epidemic control” project funded by World Health Organization and implemented by World Vision Niger and ISCV marked a major turning point. Health workers gained critical skills in managing gender-based violence, encouraging referrals, and supporting survivors, including access to psychological care. The project also strengthened disease surveillance through training on the minimum emergency activity package, enabling faster detection and reporting of measles, malaria, cholera, meningitis, and other serious illnesses, even in displaced persons sites. Long-serving relays like Seyni Seydou and Maimouna Birgui describe a deepened sense of purpose, improved knowledge, and stronger community trust. Beyond technical skills, the trainings enhanced awareness-raising, early care-seeking, and social cohesion. Today, community health workers in Ouallam act as true health sentinels, better equipped to prevent disease, respond to epidemics, and protect their communities.