This oral presentation was presented at the Bold Ideas for Brighter Futures Conference on child and adolescent mental health held in Cape Town, South Africa in May 2026.

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.

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

A new incinerator, Placenta pit and support for Health Workers at Abukardhra PHCU are helping protect mothers, babies, and the wider community by ensuring a safer medical waste disposal and improved healthcare services.

As rescue efforts continue is some areas, World Vision is moving it's focus to supporting the needs of survivors of back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela through food and hygiene kits and safe places for children to play.

World Vision launches “I’m Wearing the 10 for Children,” a regional campaign mobilising action to protect children across Latin America.

Makani Summer Camps in the West Bank provided safe spaces for children, including children with disabilities, to learn, play and receive psychosocial support.

The ‘Every Child Has the Right to Play Safely’ initiative brought together over 200 children and youth through football, inclusive activities, and safe spaces.

Mary Ayul, a 30-year-old mother from Nyilwal Boma in Panyikang County, recounts how flooding in March 2026 forced her and her five children to flee their home in the middle of the night when rising Nile waters inundated their village. Displaced to Tonga Payam, Mary faced new challenges, particularly the lack of proper sanitation, which threatened her family’s health and safety. With support from World Vision and funding from the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund, latrines were constructed for affected families, providing safe sanitation and reducing risks such as disease and exposure to dangers in the open. For Mary, the latrine represents more than infrastructure, it restores dignity, protects her children, and brings hope for a healthier future after the loss caused by the floods.

A rural community breaks its silence to protect children—building trust, strengthening reporting systems, and giving children the confidence to speak up and stay safe.