Jimmy Recodia (pictured right) knew he was leading a double life.

On Sundays, he was the obedient son of a well-respected village pastor in the Philippines and was attending college to become a teacher.

But during the week, he let his addiction to Internet gaming rule him. Invited by a friend to try out a multiplayer battle simulation game, computer gaming rapidly became his life’s focus. 

Spending all his time and money in computer shops, he was failing his classes. He argued constantly with his aunt, with whom he was living while in college. His parents’ admonishments went unheeded.

Diego’s life revolved around his gang member friends, who gave him a sense of belonging that he didn’t find with his family. Despite living on the streets and being constantly high on drugs, somehow he managed to continue in school— which is where he met Pastor Alberto, who was using the training he’d received from World Vision to teach youth in schools about values.

Something about Pastor Alberto drew him in. Although Diego (pictured right) knew that the life he was living did not reflect any of the values the pastor was teaching, he volunteered to assist with the classes. And he felt something change in his heart. 

The sun beats down on the iron sheet metal that covers Potter’s Restoration Fellowship Church in Changamwe, Kenya, creating oven-like temperatures inside.

But 12-year-old Vanessa (pictured right) leads the children’s Bible club, undeterred by the heat as she explains Bible stories, encourages the children to sing praise songs, and organizes a skit that illustrates the lesson they are learning. It might seem doubtful that many children would choose to be inside on such a hot day, but Mary Kombe, the adult leader of the Bible club, says attendance has soared to 70 children from none.

Global leaders have committed to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030.  And for the first time in modern history, the world is coming to the collective realization that it is possible to completely end extreme poverty in our lifetimes.  World Vision is leading the charge on a variety of fronts, including equipping, educating and empowering smallholder farmers break the cycle of generational poverty that has held their families back.  Until now.

The evidence is indisputable.  When girls and women have better access and opportunity, progress is accelerated.  Children are better cared for, families are stronger, and communities are more prosperous.  World Vision has been deeply engaged in gender equality work for decades.  It’s integrated into everything we do—  at every stage of a girl’s life.  

A humanitarian’s painstaking work to transform desert-like landscapes into thriving forests and farmland has been hailed a game-changer for combating famine and deforestation.

World Vision’s Tony Rinaudo has won the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’, after more than 35 years working across Asia and Africa.

World Vision has helped impact millions of lives through transformational gifts from philanthropists—evidence of God’s faithfulness. Today, more families have access to clean water along with new hope for healthy futures. Parents are better equipped to earn incomes that meet their children’s basic needs. Children are protected and nurtured, while they are growing in their Christian faith. A new day is dawning for a generation of people.

David Grizzle is a member of World Vision's National Leadership Council. This is his story.

When he was growing up, David Grizzle hated being poor. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, David launched his career with Continental Airlines, eventually serving as senior vice president of customer experience. He also served the U.S. Department of State in Kabul, Afghanistan, and eventually landed his career in the role of chief operating officer of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Organization. David admits that as he achieved financial security, like many who make their way out of poverty, his first thought wasn’t about how to help others climb out of the same hole he had.

Sherree and Jim are members of World Vision's National Leadership Council. This is their story.

Jim Funk describes his family’s commitment to World Vision’s mission to the poor as a “journey, not a race.”  Though the family’s journey that began decades ago has seen various seasons, the Funk family shows no signs of becoming weary.

The Empowered Worldview is a biblically-based training and action learning curriculum created by World Vision and other partners.  Its central purpose is to build a deep acceptance and understanding that all humans have been endowed by their Creator with the ability and capacity to lead productive, creative lives – from earning and income and providing for their families, to family roles and relationships, and from caring for others in the community to caring for creation - and to combat a dependency mindset.  The Empowered Worldview uses both a teaching curriculum as well as short-term and long-term action learning through special projects and engaging in empowering activities such as Savings Groups.