A monthly gift to support our work in India's Nalanda Community helps keep children safe from exploitation. India has the highest number of child marriages globally, and 27% of girls in India are married before their 18th birthday. You can help protect children from early marriage.
Your monthly gift will help the whole community break free from poverty by bringing essentials like clean water, nutrition and healthcare; and help to break down the ingrained beliefs and unequal systems that force girls into early marriage.
You'll help keep girls in school and give them access to Children's clubs that are safe spaces for kids to seek guidance and voice their concerns over issues like child marriage. Education is a powerful path to gender equality, strengthening girls' skills, knowledge and power to challenge discriminatory gender norms.
Empowering children
We empower children with the skills and knowledge to protect themselves and each other. We teach children about their rights, how to keep themselves safe, and how to make their communities and schools safer for all, especially the most vulnerable.
Strengthening families
We strengthen families and caregivers to be the first line of protection and care for children. We support parents and caregivers through social support networks, economic and social assistance and equipping them with positive parenting skills.
Mobilising communities
We help communities build a safety net of people to protect children, prevent harm, and ensure those who are harmed receive the help they need to recover. Our programmes strengthen the laws, norms and circles of care that keep children safe.
Determined not to be a child bride.
At just fourteen years old, Dharanshila found out that her parents were arranging for her to be married. She was in year nine at school and certainly not ready to be married or stop her studies and drop out of school. Determined not to let this be her fate, Dharanshila sought help from her local World Vision Children's Club. The Children's Club helped her convince her parents to stop the marriage so that she could finish her schooling. Her mother was very glad that she was able to make the best choice for her daughter's future, "I'm very happy that we stopped our daughter's marriage. I understand that it's the best for her health, and I'm also very happy that she continues her studies".
Education has set up Anushya up for a bright future.
Coming from a poor family in a small fishing village in India, Anushya was destined for marriage at a young age. But she dreamed of a better life. Thanks to the support of people like you, Anushya's community partnered with World Vision to tackle the root causes of poverty. Anushya's family benefited directly from this partnership and were supported to grow their income and helped their children to stay in school. Now, Anushya's dream has become her reality. She worked very hard in school and was the first girl in her village to enrol in tertiary education and has now completed her Bachelor's degree. "I feel so proud that I am the first girl in my village, ever, to complete a professional degree."
As part of an international partnership working in nearly 100 countries, World Vision New Zealand pursues the highest standards of stewardship and accountability.
In 2021, 84.6% of World Vision New Zealand's total operating expenses were used for international program support that benefited children, families and communities in need. Learn more.