Core Work
Poverty causes many issues facing children worldwide today in developing countries. However, many of these problems can be alleviated or even resolved with concentrated, collaborative efforts by our global community. Childfund focuses on these six core issues that affect children who live in poverty.
Child Protection
Children of all ages, nationalities, religions and cultures suffer from violence, exploitation and abuse. Children facing these issues are unable to exercise their other important rights — to food, shelter, adequate health services, education — which further impairs their development and perpetuates the cycle of poverty. With our local partners, ChildFund creates safe spaces where children feel nurtured and protected everywhere they are: at home, at school and online.
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Emergencies
Children become more vulnerable during emergencies. Whenever disaster strikes — whether it’s an earthquake, drought, typhoon or other crisis — ChildFund’s emergency response and rehabilitation efforts focus on child protection and emotional support, in addition to traditional relief and aid. ChildFund’s signature Child-Centered Spaces are safe places for children to play, read and talk to trained adults about their losses. With psychosocial support, children can recover from trauma and just be children again.
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Health
Poor access to healthcare and low standards of health are dangerous issues facing children worldwide because they are particularly vulnerable to the effects of poor health, whether they stem from malnutrition, communicable diseases or birth defects. Investing in better healthcare in developing countries is vital to helping families break the cycle of poverty. ChildFund supports community-based health care to address children’s needs from infancy to young adulthood, plus prenatal care and maternal health. By providing training, funding and other support to locally based health centers, ChildFund makes healthcare accessible to more children and their family members.
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Education
Poor access to education is one of the greatest issues facing children in poverty because a full education is a vital component to achieving potential. Education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty because of the uplifting effect it has on other aspects of society. Education stimulates economic growth, improves health, raises crop yields, reduces child marriage, lowers maternal and child deaths, and fights the spread of disease. Aside from making it easier for children to attend school and succeed there, ChildFund and our local partners educate families about saving money, livelihood training, early childhood development and other important issues.
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Early Childhood Development
Children’s futures depend on their early years. They need loving caregivers and safe homes, intellectual stimulation, social and educational opportunities, good nutrition and health care. Without a stable, caring and supportive environment to grow up in, a child will not grow and develop properly. ChildFund’s Early Childhood Development programs ensure that the youngest children start their lives in the conditions they need to live at their potential — from the beginning.
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Economic Strengthening
By emphasizing sustainable livelihoods, ChildFund and our partners strengthen families’ economic security and self-sufficiency. We help them start their own businesses or train for marketable careers with scholarships, startup funding, tools and education, which can lead to community-wide changes and opportunities. ChildFund’s Village Savings and Loans groups, mentoring and entrepreneurial training all help older teens and young adults achieve better futures for themselves and their children.
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