We were there  - We will always be

Jeopardy Host Alex Trebek visited Ethiopia with World Vision during the famine in the 1980s. 

World Vision began because one man was challenged by one woman to see the need of one child. Motivated by concern, love and a desire for justice, she understood that knowledge comes with responsibility and thus it requires action. One person can do something, but many, together, can make a greater impact.

For 70 years, we’ve turned our passion for justice into action, going wherever children are most vulnerable. We stand alongside anyone who believes that the collective treasure of all our hearts and the measure of all our wealth is the happiness and well-being of all children. Together, with millions of Canadians and our partners, we work toward a world where children everywhere should have the opportunity for life in all its fullness.
   
In the 1970s, when the Communist government began persecuting ethnic minorities, groups of Chinese migrants fled Vietnam and made their way to neighbouring countries by sea. These people became known as the “Vietnamese boat people.” Often families began to lose hope as bordering countries refused to let them land. Faced with the reality that they may die slowly in open waters; parents were forced to consider throwing their children overboard instead. Understanding the plight of these people, World Vision purchased a freighter and with Operation Seasweep came to their aid. The ship was the first international rescue operation to arrive, providing food and medical care to desperate refugees. Seasweep went onto provide relief to many other vessels that were in trouble.
   
In 1983, because of a perfect storm of recurring drought, failed harvests, food scarcity and conflict that kept aid from reaching people, the BBC’s Michael Buerk reported that Ethiopia was being devastated by a “biblical famine in the 20th century.” When almost one million deaths occurred, the world took notice. Along with many other aid organizations, World Vision was “first in” during the Ethiopian famine and “last out” leaving behind fertile, green valleys and more resilient communities.
   
In 2005, at the peak of the AIDS epidemic, as many as 40.3 million people were living with HIV worldwide—roughly two-thirds of them in Africa. In the same year, nearly 3.1 million died of complications from AIDS; 600,000 of these victims were children. The world was slow to understand what was happening. World Vision mobilized faith leaders, often the most influential members of a community, to help in the global response.
   
It was the day after Christmas 2004, when a tsunami crashed down on the coasts of multiple South and Southeast Asian countries. Eight hours later and 5,000 miles from its epicenter in the Indian Ocean, the tsunami claimed its final casualties on the coast of South Africa. The world watched in shock as the tsunami killed at least 225,000 people across more than a dozen countries. In the days following, people were moved to help. World Vision raised over 350 million dollars and focused on the needs of children, families and their communities by supporting child protection, health care, education and livelihoods.
   
On January 12, 2010, Haiti was ravaged by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that claimed nearly a quarter of a million lives and left over 300,000 injured. The country was ill-prepared to deal with such a large-scale disaster. Makeshift camps sprung up around the island, housing the 20 per cent of the population that had been affected. World Vision responded within hours. And with the support of Canadians, we remained in the country long-term, helping families find permanent housing, getting children back to school and helping people regain access to healthcare.
 
Across the globe, children are forced to work in conditions that are harmful to their wellbeing and future. Whether it’s a garment factory in Bangladesh or the coffee fields in Guatemala, child labour is a form of exploitation--the overworking and underpaying of someone for the unfair benefit of another party. At World Vision we advocate to end this often-hidden abuse, petitioning our government to ensure companies have full supply-chain transparency and encouraging organizations in these countries to pay fare wages to parents so they can support their families on their own.
   
Change only happens when there is sustained action. What began as one woman spurring on one man to help one child, has spread across the globe, spanning multiple countries and partnering with countless people. We don’t confine ourselves just to the emergencies that hit the headlines, it spreads to countries across the globe, from the most dangerous cities to the political arenas in our home country, from emergency response to development to advocacy.

If we only worked in safe places, if we only helped people who agree with us, fear would win.
We can’t let that happen. We haven’t before, we won’t start now. Join us as we continue to partner with the world’s most vulnerable children.
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