"I am going to change the world"

World Vision is proud to work in partnership with some of the most amazing children, parents and communities. We see lasting change unfold as children become less vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition, as well as child marriage, FGM and other violations of rights. What we also see is children taking on these issues themselves, as Januka's story below demonstrates.

But none of this would be possible without our supporters – people who believe all children deserve a happy, healthy start in life, no matter where they live.

Januka: a force to be reckoned with

Januka is one of these children. Living in rural Nepal, she and her family have faced many challenges. But at 18, she’s a force to be reckoned with.

Most of the families in Januka’s community rely on subsistence farming – where crops are produced almost solely for consumption. This way of life isn’t always reliable, especially with increasing extreme weather events like droughts and floods. Neither does it provide a steady income.

Families who rely on subsistence farming can be left without enough food – and this can have devastating consequences.

READ MORE: From just about surviving to positively thriving

Before Child Sponsorship

At the age of eight, Januka loved going to school but she wasn’t going regularly. There were days she’d be kept home to help around the house and there were days when there wasn’t enough money to cover the fees.

If Januka’s life had continued along this path, she likely would have dropped out of school and been married off – relieving her parents of a burden but keeping Januka trapped in a cycle of poverty.

Because of Child Sponsorship

When Januka was sponsored, things began to change. Januka got to stay in school.

With the support of her sponsor, Januka embarked on an education journey that saw her become a top student in her class and then become the first person in her family to go to university.

“Everyone who is a sponsored child like me can change the world,” Januka says. “The support I got removed my fear of speaking and I became more vocal.”

Januka dived into her studies, but she couldn’t forget the struggles her community faces, especially around food. She trained as a peer educator, sharing life skills and advocating for the wellbeing of young people.

Here are some of the things Januka does in her spare time:

• At a local clinic, Januka leads a health and nutrition programme to support women in pregnancy and birth. She works with nurses to ensure they have the right information to tell new mothers about the critical first year of life and how they can help their babies grow healthy and strong.
• For the community, Januka has set up a vegetable garden of her own, which creates a supply of locally grown seasonal vegetables for the market at a cheaper price than imported produce. Januka hopes to show the community that with Nepal’s fertile growing conditions, there is no need to rely on outside imports, which are often pricier and less healthy.
• In the community, Januka leads a Savings for Transformation group that focuses on nutrition. Through these groups, women are able to put aside money together and then take turns lending to each other when needs arise. The focus of the group Januka leads is to provide loans to transform nutrition, which means women can receive financial support when growing vegetables or setting up a local food business.
• At schools, Januka helps children learn about nutrition through theatre performances. Januka takes time to play a lead role in funny and engaging ‘street dramas’ that demonstrate to kids the importance of healthy eating.

The benefit of all this to Januka’s community is beyond measure, but it certainly wouldn’t be possible without Child Sponsorship.

Here’s what Januka has to say about how her life has changed:

“Because I was sponsored, I got the chance to go to school. Because I am sponsored, I am the first one in my family to get into a university. Because I am sponsored, I have a voice. Because I am sponsored, I am going to change the world.”

Sponsor a child today

If you’ve been thinking about sponsoring a child, today could be the day. You could help end hunger for good, keeping a child in school and empowering them for life.

You could help the next Januka change their world.