In the Shadow of Hunger: The Power of Self-Reliance to Protect Children and Restore Hope

Resilience in emergencies helps protect children from hunger and crisis, so they can survive today and build a safer future tomorrow.

As funding declines and hunger rises, new research from World Vision, in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP), shows that household self‑reliance—or the ability to provide for basic needs without external assistance, protects children from hunger, child labour, early marriage, school dropout, and family separation.

To commemorate International Environment Day 2026, World Vision DRC’s Kinshasa Cluster brought together local authorities, schools, and community members in Ngandu, Kimbanseke, to promote environmental protection and climate action. Through awareness sessions, waste management demonstrations, tree-planting activities, and the distribution of waste bins to schools, the event highlighted the crucial role of children and communities in building a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for generations to come.

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

Daniel’s story is a powerful example of how vision, discipline, and the right support can transform lives. After participating in World Vision’s Empowered Worldview Training and receiving start-up capital, the 44-year-old farmer from Kageyo Sector, Gicumbi District, shifted from subsistence farming and chronic food shortages to profitable agriculture. By applying modern farming techniques and carefully planning his goals in a notebook he calls his “Performance Targets Notebook,” Daniel steadily increased his harvests from just 5 kilograms of beans to more than two tonnes of produce per season. His success has enabled him to provide adequate food for his family, improve their living conditions, purchase productive assets, and expand his farming business. Guided by a clear vision and commitment to continuous growth, Daniel now looks forward to even greater development for himself and his family.

This inspiring article highlights how World Vision's Let the Children Come (LCC) project is transforming the lives of children in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo through Bible Reading Clubs. Operating in areas affected by conflict, disease outbreaks, and social challenges, the initiative provides children with spiritual guidance, literacy support, and life skills through regular Bible reflection sessions. Through the personal testimonies of Bright and Christophe, readers discover how these clubs help children develop positive behaviour, strengthen their faith, learn to read, and embrace values such as obedience, forgiveness, and peacebuilding. The article also showcases the role of trained Sunday school facilitators, the distribution of thousands of Bibles and educational materials, and the integration of critical health messages, including Ebola prevention. Ultimately, the story demonstrates how Bible Reading Clubs serve as safe spaces where children can heal, learn, and grow, while calling for the expansion of this proven model to reach more vulnerable children across the region.

In South Sudan, girls like Shufa are forced from school into labour—hunger and displacement push millions of children’s futures to the brink.

Ase Paho, a PNG fisherman, overcame bone tuberculosis with World Vision support, regaining health and urging early testing and treatment for others.

Eswatini launched the National Children’s Consultative Forum, empowering children to influence decisions, promote their rights, and shape a better future.