Facing the Impossible:
What Can We Do?

As I am writing this, I look back on the 75 year history of World Vision. From generational poverty, war and conflict, earthquakes, tsunamis to humanitarian disasters, we face the impossible and ask a simple question time and again — what can we do? But then I remember a story from 1947. A young girl named Baiyu from the Former A.R.C.M. Girls’ Schools, Gulangyu Island, Xiamen City, China, is cast out by her family as she is converted after hearing a message from American preacher Bob Pierce.

Her teacher, Tena Holkeboer, goes to Bob Pierce and pleads for help. About to return home, Bob Pierce asks if she would care for Baiyu. “The question isn’t what I am going to do. The question is what are you going to do?” Tena answered. Digging in his pocket, Bob Pierce pulled out five dollars and gave it to Tena. When he gets home, he sends the same amount every month to ensure Baiyu is taken care of. He would later recall, “I did not know it then, but in a sense, World Vision was born that day.” From that moment, he started asking a question that would shape the organisation’s future – what can I do for children in need?

The Footprints of World Vision

It has been 75 years since our start, and you may wonder: can World Vision remain true to its founding mission and beliefs, even as the world faces one seemingly irreversible crisis after another? Can we still bring hope to children?

For decades, we have walked alongside children, families and communities at their hardest times. As a humanitarian and development organisation, our greatest motivation has always been our faith — our trust in the faithfulness of God, and our commitment to the children and families He loves.

We Believe in His Love for Children

Children have always been at the centre of the work of World Vision, because we believe that Jesus loves children. In the book of Matthew, chapter 19, when the disciples tried to stop children from coming forward, Jesus said: “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14)

The founder of World Vision, Bob Pierce, was inspired to establish the organisation during the Korean War, when he witnessed countless mothers widowed and many children left orphaned. After the war ended in 1953, he began reaching out to donors in the United States, who would write encouraging letters to Korean orphans and send a monthly donation to provide food, uniforms, schooling, medical care, and Bible training for them. Within just two years, the number of sponsored children in Korea grew from 800 to nearly 8,000. From Bob Pierce’s first act of kindness to Baiyu until today, World Vision has supported 2.3 million children across 49 countries through our Child Sponsorship programme — something we believe only God could have made possible.

One of the unique features of the programme is that each sponsorship journey fosters a profound connection between sponsors and the sponsored child. Another distinctive aspect is that while caring for the sponsored child and their family, we also invest in the wider community. This ensures that every child in the area benefits from improvements in education, health, sanitation, clean water, child protection, and spiritual nurture, enabling them to grow up in a safe and healthy environment. For we believe that God loves children, and we are convinced that the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

We Believe in His Care for Families

World Vision has been supporting families through emergency relief and community development, because we believe that Jesus cares deeply for the needs of families. In the book of Luke, chapter 8, when Jesus heard that Jairus’s daughter had died, he said to the grieving father: “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” (Luke 8:50) And indeed, she was healed.

A stable family gives children the foundation to flourish, especially in their faith and relationships. Yet, most of the children we serve come from families living in poverty. That is why we are committed to breaking the cycle of poverty — helping families become self-reliant and improving the conditions in which children grow up. This includes initiatives such as the Empowered Worldview programme, which is a Bible-based training that helps participants see themselves and others in a new light, recognising that all are created in the image of God.

Through Celebrating Families workshops, parents facing hardship discover the foundations of harmony in marriage and reflect on how their childhood shaped the way they nurture their children. Through this process, they are empowered to make wiser choices while learning to respect and value the diverse roles, identities and circumstances within their families. Celebrating Families seeks to ensure that families supported by World Vision build positive, loving relationships, look to the future with hope, and become places where children can experience God’s love.

We believe supporting families in developing sustainable livelihoods and learning to care for one another is vital to the wellbeing of children. In 2024, we partnered with 1.2 million parents and more than 100,000 faith leaders across 40 countries, working together to build loving families and communities where children can thrive.

Facing the Impossible: How Do We Respond?

When Andrew Morley, President and CEO of World Vision International, took part in World Vision Day while visiting Hong Kong in October, he shared a moving encounter from a region between southern Kenya and the border of northern Tanzania, where he met an eight‑year‑old girl named Esther. Esther told him her story – her parents sold her for marriage to an old man in exchange for six cows because the family was starving. Unfortunately, she was abused by the husband. She tried to escape and seek help, but her first two attempts failed. It was only on her third desperate attempt via the local World Vision office that she was finally rescued and given the chance to return to school. Esther’s smile and the thankfulness in her eyes when sharing her experience left a lasting impression on Andrew Morley. Her case is a powerful example of how, even in seemingly impossible circumstances, help can be made available to those in need. The very presence of a World Vision office in that community was made possible through support from the Child Sponsorship programme.

Andrew Morley firmly believes that every donation can bring new life to children like Esther. He said earnestly, “If you think what you are doing isn’t making any difference, just remember Esther.” He went on to highlight that global humanitarian crises have risen sharply over the past 15 years — from around 3 crises a year to 33 crises — yet international humanitarian funding remains critically insufficient. This has placed immense pressure on frontline workers, making many rescue and development efforts almost impossible. With this in mind, let each of us reflect on how we can make the impossible possible.