Child-focused aid is shrinking despite rising global crises. Investing in children is urgent, smart, and essential for a stable, equitable future.

A story about schoolchildren in Melut County, South Sudan, who used to sit on stones in school because there were no desks. With support from EMPOWER, they got 200 new desks in 2024. Now, children like Zacharia and Chan can sit comfortably, and more kids are motivated to come to school.

Amanda Rives unpacks the root causes of the escalating food crisis, along with the consequences of shrinking aid, and urges international actors to renew their commitment to ending the hunger crisis

This is a joint press release of World Vision, Save the Children, and Plan International about the children’s dialogue with the national leaders of South Sudan in commemoration of the Day of the African Child 2025.

Read the inspiring journey of Rose Agili, a young woman in South Sudan who transforms her tailoring business through the Greater Resilience Enhanced Through Market-Based Agriculture, WASH (GREAW) project. This is how resilience-building projects empower women and girls to overcome challenges, improve livelihoods, and inspire hope in times of hardship.

In the overcrowded schools of Tooz, 197 km from Baghdad, nine-year-old Mustafa, a boy with short-sightedness, faces multiple challenges in his education. Struggling to learn Arabic, and adapt to the frequent turnover of teachers, Mustafa’s learning was falling behind. His father, Hasan, noted the instability and its impact on his son’s ability to focus and spell. However, with support from World Vision Iraq and dedicated teacher Narmeen anAamr, Mustafa began to improve, gaining confidence in reading and concentrating better. “He has changed for the better,” his father shared. Mustafa, popular at school, respectful, and full of ambition, dreams of becoming an engineer. While Hasan works for the government, his wife cares for the children at home. Despite challenges, the family is committed to supporting Mustafa’s education. “He must learn and continue,” Hasan says, underscoring their shared hope for a brighter future.

Lilian Dodzo, East Africa Regional Vice President and Regional Director at World Vision, shares her reflections on how the EU can help shape a safer, more stable world by investing in children’s protection and education in crisis settings.

Digital Empowerment

This article recounts an initiative led by World Vision and the Protection Cluster on the occasion of the Day of the African Child 2025 in North Kivu. The event brought together local authorities and humanitarian actors under the theme of planning and budgeting for children’s rights, within the context of a prolonged crisis. Discussions centred on emergency education, the fight against child exploitation, support for reintegration centres, and the need for reliable data to inform decisions. A powerful testimony from a young former street child strengthened the call for concrete action. World Vision concluded by emphasising that protecting childhood is an investment in peace and the future of the country.

Between January and March 2025, World Vision delivered over 58,700 services to children and families on the move across Latin America—demonstrating a sustained, child-focused, and community-driven response to an evolving migration crisis.