More than 250 men, women, and young people from around the globe came together for World Vision’s 14th Annual Strong Women Strong World Event in New York on November 30. They learned more about the plight of women and girls in the developing world, and what World Vision is doing about it.

In her keynote speech, First Lady of Rwanda, Jeannette Kagame said, “Women and girls are capable of bringing about significant change to their environment, despite obstacles that stand in the way of their advancement. If the existing impediments to women's advancement were removed from their paths, the impact of change could be more powerful."

Dominica leads her students in a lesson on social studies.

Dominica Chelatan (24) displays a rare trait, she has a photographic memory of her childhood. Her recollection of her upbringing speaks to the survival tactics she developed, living in a culture that had little regard for a girl child.

She was born into a large traditional Pokot family of twenty children. Her father was a village elder who was respected in the community. His words were like commands and nobody dared to disobey him. The sad thing is, he had no regard for education.

Martha became a member of her local Safe Motherhood Action Group after giving birth to eight children without any of the knowledge she now shares with her pregnant neighbors. Her lack of knowledge nearly cost Martha her life during one of her deliveries.

At 34, Martha Nvula has had eight children, the youngest just shy of a year old. She and her husband live nearly 22 miles from a facility that handles baby deliveries, which meant she took great risks each time she got pregnant.

Martha didn’t understand the importance of prenatal care and planning for deliveries, and three times she gave birth along the route to the health facility—once nearly losing her life because of complications.

Martha jumped at the opportunity to join a Safe Motherhood Action Group in her village. She learned about timed and targeted counseling (ttC), which is the developing world’s version of the iconic pregnancy book, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting."

Anne meeting her sponsored child in Armenia

Anne Robblee is a member of World Vision's National Leadership Council. This is her story.

Before Anne Robblee was ever involved with World Vision, her husband was a member of a microfinance committee. Then, in 2006, Anne decided to join him on a Vision Trip to Nicaragua. Encountering people facing abject poverty opened Anne’s eyes, as did witnessing the impact of World Vision’s work that was transforming communities and individuals. Awed by the sacrificial love, care, and dedication of the World Vision staff members who ministered to them, Anne marveled, “It works!” Both Anne and her husband Dave wanted to further immerse themselves in the work of World Vision. She explains, “We were both hooked.”

In Bangladesh, Shohug’s father died when he was 5, leaving him to help provide for his family. Through World Vision, Shohug, 10, can still go to school, even while he helps his mom sell homemade lentil chips. Please join us in prayer for children like Shohug. (©2017 World Vision/photo by Laura Reinhardt)

Children are a precious gift from God. As adults, we have the privilege and responsibility to care for them and help them live the full and abundant life God desires for them. Tragically, love and security are not the reality for three-quarters of the world’s children who experience some form of violence every year.

It is hard to accept, but the reality for the majority of children is a life of violence, and for some, exploitation. At least 1.7 billion of the 2.2 billion children in the world experience violence every year, in their homes, schools, or communities.

After spending close to three hours on a bumpy, wet road, we finally arrived at our destination. It was a rural village with a cluster of 1-room structures made of mud and wood with thatched roofs. The village is in World Vision’s Nkeyema Area Program in west Zambia. Soon after getting out of the muddy 4-wheel van, we were greeted by a spirited young woman named Mary Mulimbika. She passionately shook our hands and welcomed us with a beaming smile.

“I lost my pregnancy because my village had no proper water source,” says Kanyanga Muyenga, a 25-year-old woman from Western Zambia. Kanyanga is a young, single mother of two adorable children, a 10-year-old girl named Nyambe and a 17-month-old boy named Masheke. She lives in a small remote village called Chimopu, located on sandy terrain north of World Vision’s Luampa Area Program (AP). Kanyanga has lived in her village her entire life. To make ends meet, she grows cash crops like cassava and corn.

“Trial and error,” “no clear direction,” “no teaching, no nothing”—these are the words that teachers at Kaboson Primary School in Kenya used to describe how they taught the weekly Christian Religious Education class.

Although the class is required by the Kenyan government, there are no lesson plans provided. Most teachers resorted to simply singing songs, as they didn’t know how to teach Bible stories or use them to explain values by which children should live.

Bullying and other examples of poor discipline were frequent in the school, especially between the boys and girls.