ChildFund

We love a sponsored child success story 🙌🏼 Emmanuel Ndeya, widely known as Ken Dumbo, is a comedian, journalist, social media influencer and event host well-known in Zambia’s media and entertainment landscape. Behind his success is a journey shaped by mentorship through @ChildFund Zambia. As a sponsored child, Ken had the opportunity to participate in child and youth advocacy platforms where young people had a space to interact with civic leaders, discuss issues affecting children’s lives and contribute to community dialogue. “ChildFund gave me more than school support,” he says. “I was given opportunities to speak, to be listened to, and to understand that my voice mattered. Meeting leaders as a child made me believe that I, too, could influence change.” Today, those early lessons are reflected in Ken Dumbo’s work as a journalist and digital influencer. He uses his platforms to highlight social issues affecting vulnerable communities—sharing stories from underserved schools, promoting health awareness and amplifying development initiatives that often go unnoticed. Through humor and storytelling, he engages and entertains his audiences while drawing attention to matters of public interest. “I come from a community where many young people have dreams but lack opportunities,” Ken says. “If my story can encourage even one child to believe in themselves or speak up, then I know I am using my platform well.”

What was the craziest thing your mom did to make sure you succeeded? In the Philippines, Arlene, a mom who facilitates ChildFund’s Supervised Neighborhood Play session for preschool-aged kids in the area, used to worry about where her next session with the children would be held. The play sessions took place wherever space was available, and when no space could be found, sessions were sometimes cancelled altogether. That left the kids in a tight spot: Arlene knew they needed that early stimulation and play to be ready for school when they were old enough. Arlene decided to take matters into her own hands—literally. She teamed up with three other moms in her neighborhood, Rosalina, Meriel and Binyang, and together the four women built an early childhood development center from the ground up. “We were all women,” Arlene says. “But we worked together. When neighbors saw us, they started helping too.” And so it was that what started as a crazy idea became a legitimate preschool. Today, all the young children in the community have a safe place to play, learn and grow. Thank you, Mom, for your hard work to make sure we never went without.

What was one obstacle your mom had to overcome when you were a child? Grappling with hunger, isolation and an unexpected pregnancy during the COVID pandemic, Fauzia wanted to give up completely. Today, she and her little boy are thriving thanks to your support. Thank you, Mom, for being so strong for us.

What was your favorite meal you remember Mom cooking for you as a child? In rural Mozambique, Luisa is making a maize porridge for her daughter, Valtina—yes, with the baby on her back. Before she started taking workshops with ChildFund’s Okhala Sana project, funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Luisa remembers not feeling very clear on what healthy eating looked like during pregnancy and early childhood. "We used to raise our children in different ways," she says. "For instance, when I got pregnant, I was not allowed to eat certain kinds of food, such as eggs or meat, because [we believed] this type of food was not good for the pregnancy. “This was a lie. There are so many things I have learned that help me to take better care of myself and my children.” By the time the project concludes this year, it will have reached more than 2,000 caregivers like Luisa with responsive parenting sessions that support child nutrition and development. Even more will participate in cooking workshops and child health initiatives supported by the project. The goal: to make sure the youngest children, even in remote communities, have the nutrition and supportive environment they need to thrive. childfund.pulse.ly/8gvqvpdui9 Thank you for supporting hardworking moms like Luisa worldwide. And BIG thanks to our own moms for making sure we ate every day!

In our line of work, there’s one kind of person we never cease to meet over and over and over again: incredible, loving, resilient moms. Moms who make tough choices and sacrifices that many of us can’t even imagine. Moms who won’t take no for an answer when their kids’ well-being is on the line. Moms whose love would move heaven and earth to create a better life for their children (and sometimes does). We’re highlighting their stories this month, because we think you need to meet them too. Watch 👀 this space for opportunities to take a trip down memory lane and honor your mothers and mother figures, too. 💐

A day in the life of Jabet, a preschooler in Palorinya Refugee Settlement, Uganda! 👋🏾 Children living in refugee settlements often face intense barriers to their basic education. Access to preschool can be nearly non-existent. In June 2024, we partnered with the Ugandan government and @Refugees to launch the Good Start in Education project in the Palorinya settlement, where Jabet lives after his family fled violence in South Sudan. The project reached nearly 3,000 children under age 6, addressing critical gaps in early childhood development services by supporting 10 different preschools with trained teachers, learning materials, playgrounds, school gardens and more. The result? Kids like Jabet are getting the strong start they need to thrive for a lifetime.

What does locally led development really mean? Here's what staff from our local partner organizations have to say. 📢 Over the past decade, we’ve invested more than $700 million in our local partnerships. These organizations are not subsidiaries or subcontractors but local changemakers with their own missions, boards and dreams. What they all have in common is our shared goal: to ensure more children can grow up healthy, educated, skilled and safe. That's what we mean when we say we don’t just support communities — we walk beside them. We share tools, knowledge and support so our partners can design and lead their own programs, raise their own funds and measure their own impact. And we amplify the voices of those who know their challenges best and trust them to lead the way toward a brighter future for their children. Because most powerful change doesn't come from the outside. It rises from within.

@Propreciator @ChildFundAll Thank you so much for making us aware of this. This is NOT acceptable behavior from our face-to-face fundraisers. We are currently investigating the situation, so we appreciate you bringing it to our attention!

@ChildFund @ChildFundAll 2:30pm PT (4/6/26): ChildFund booth outside CVS (4020 Fremont Hub, Fremont, CA). Rep was rude, condescending, antagonizing ppl with sarcastic remarks. Used-car sales like pressure. Is this how ChildFund operates? Anything for funds? Hope u address it!

What in the world is an eco-brick? You’re looking at one! In Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines, youth in our Eco-scouts program work hand in hand with their community to care for a thriving communal garden, where they grow vegetables that everyone can freely harvest and enjoy. One way they support the garden is by upcycling plastic waste into eco-bricks—big soda bottles packed tightly with clean, dry used plastics—to build and reinforce structures around the garden. It’s a great way to provide nutritious food for the community while also preserving the planet for future generations. “I am happy that I can help the environment,” says Jay, 14. “By making eco-bricks and taking care of the garden, we learn a lot and we are also able to help our community.” Learn more about our work in sustainability ➡️ childfund.org/our-work/susta…

1 in 5 children in Africa has already experienced some form of online sexual abuse. In some places, the numbers are even higher. As internet penetration grows, access continues to expand, with faster connections and more affordable devices. But protection is not keeping pace. So we brought the right people into the room. Government. Donors. Civil society. Tech leaders. Child protection actors. Most importantly, children and youth themselves. We asked a simple question: Are we moving as quickly on safety as we are on access? What this video captures is a shift in thinking: access alone is not progress; safety has to be built in, not added on; solutions must be shaped with children, not for them; and stronger collaboration across sectors is essential.

Our work is so much more than just a job. It’s about being a small piece of a bigger picture we believe in: a world where all children grow up healthy, educated, skilled and safe. Sometimes, we’re lucky enough to see the impact we make up and close and personal. Last year, one of our fundraising team members in the U.S., Renée Ferguson, traveled to Uganda to meet children and families in our programs and help them tell their stories. The visit was “truly life-changing,” she says, bringing her day-to-day work to life in a whole new way. “Seeing early childhood programs and youth initiatives in action showed me how deeply rooted and community driven our work really is,” Renée says. “You see both the challenges and the incredible resilience of families—and how ChildFund Uganda partners with communities, not just serves them. “All of our staff, partners and families are driven by a shared desire for children to have the opportunity to thrive. Seeing that belief in action reminded me why this work matters and why I’m grateful to be part of it.” Learn more about our work at ChildFund.org!

When local organizations are trusted and in the lead, lasting change takes root. 🌱 For more than a decade, @ChildFundIndo has walked alongside Sumba Integrated Development (SID) — a community‑born organization committed to protecting children and strengthening families in East Sumba. From the beginning, the approach to partnership was grounded in co‑creation, capacity strengthening and deep respect for local knowledge. And now that the groundwork is solid, new opportunities are flourishing. “Over the past six years, SID has begun expanding its partnerships with various donor agencies outside ChildFund,” says Anto Kila, SID’s executive director. “The knowledge and experience SID gained during its partnership with ChildFund is not only a foundation, but also an asset to the organization that continues to be nurtured and utilized.” Today, SID reaches tens of thousands of children and family members in East Sumba. Read more about their journey: childfund.id/blog/story-4/b……

What do you do when the power goes out at your house? Agnes lives in a small community in Sierra Leone where there IS no power. “There is no light in my community,” she says. “At home, we have only one small lamp that everyone uses. With all the noise around, it’s hard to study or prepare for my exams.” Thanks to your support, we were able to partner with @BooksForAfrica, @unitetolight, Munafa M’Patie Federation and the government of Sierra Leone to supply more than $25,000 worth of solar lamps to 51 schools in 11 districts. 🤯 Agnes is now one of 4000+ children in this area with access to the lamps and other school supplies! “Learning has become easier, and our lives are better,” Agnes says. Thanks for—quite literally—bringing light to the world! 💡

🇺🇬@ChildFund & @AfriChildCentre's ECPC project increased children’s knowledge of child protection laws in Uganda by 15%! That’s the kind of impact we need to scale! Visit #SafeFuturesHub to learn more 👉 bit.ly/4mmGpI0 👈

Eat a lot of sweet potatoes this winter? 🍠 So did kids we work with in Turkana County, Kenya. In fact, a ChildFund program that introduced orange sweet potatoes to local farmers has helped drive down child malnutrition in the area from above 30% to less than 20%. Watch 🎥 to see how!

You know where your children are. Do you know who they’re talking to online? Knowing the signs 🛑 of online exploitation can help stop it before it happens. It’s one of the best things you can do for the kids in your life this Safer Internet Day (and every day).

Meet 13-year-old Esther. With your support, we’ve helped her and dozens of other girls at her school escape female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage. 👏🏿 Esther attends a school in Kajiado County, Kenya, that caring people like you have supported for more than two decades. ChildFund currently works in the school by facilitating the Child Rights Club, providing meals for students, and running a tree planting program. Most importantly, we built a school dormitory a few years ago as a safe place for girls like Esther to learn free from the pressures to undergo harmful traditional practices like FGM and child marriage. This is her story in her own words—an affirmation that we really can end FGM when we work together.

Local Partner Spotlight ⭐ Partnership for Child and Family Development (PDEF), Senegal "When the partnership is built on trust and local leadership, it is the communities that are the real winners," says Gora Fall, executive director of our local partner organization PDEF. PDEF's story began in 2009, when four local organizations that had been connected with ChildFund since the late 1990s came together to form an umbrella nonprofit. At first, the organization had fewer than 20 staff members and relied entirely on ChildFund for funding. As the partnership grew, PDEF steadily expanded its capabilities. Today, only 37% of its funding comes from ChildFund, thanks to other partnerships PDEF has cultivated! Supporting independent local organizations is a key part of our strategy to make change for children that really sticks. Learn more about how we work through local partners: lnkd.in/eRbv7rMD

Come inside our library in Uganda! 📚 ChildFund has a long history supporting kids at this school in Kaberamaido District, thanks to your generosity … 1998 ➡️ School built 2005 ➡️ New desks provided 2022 ➡️ Library renovated & stocked Today ➡️ New literacy & numeracy program And the books are just the beginning. Together with Longhorn Publishers, we’ve launched an ambitious program to boost literacy and numeracy in more than 70 underperforming primary schools across Uganda. We’re now reaching 90,000+ students through Saturday morning catch-up classes and newly developed textbooks tailored specifically to Uganda’s education curriculum. Teachers also receive instructional guides and enhanced training to better support their students! This is how we make an impact in children’s lives for the long term: through smart partnerships, local collaboration and YOUR tremendous support. Just imagine all the doors these books will open!

Food for thought this MLK Day: One of Dr. King’s most enduring messages was that the way we nurture and protect children reveals the soul of our society. 💯 Around the world, children still face barriers that Dr. King fought tirelessly to dismantle, like inequality, exclusion and the absence of opportunity. His legacy challenges us not only to imagine a more socially just world for children but to actually build the support systems that make it possible in the family, the community, the country and beyond. We hope you’ll join us to in helping create a world where every child can learn, grow and dream without limits. The future Dr. King imagined begins with the children who are with us today.