VIA GRAPHIC PLUS — Across the Philippines, thousands of families continue to struggle with two interconnected challenges: child malnutrition and water insecurity. Every day, parents are fighting to keep their children healthy while having limited access to safe drinking water and affordable nutritious food.
To address these systemic challenges, World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization, urged four donors to see these realities first-hand as they brought them recently to Bulan, Sorsogon for a multi-day vision trip focused on Positive Deviance/Hearth (PD/H) and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH).
The immersion offered them a deeper insight on the realities faced by the vulnerable communities and the urgent need for sustained support to address child malnutrition and limited access to safe water.
The trip included learning sessions with the Provincial Health Office and Municipal Health Office, giving donors a clearer picture of the local context, particularly the prevalence of malnutrition and the persistent lack of adequate water systems in many communities. Donors also learned more about World Vision’s interventions in the area and how its partnerships can help strengthen community health, nutrition, and resilience.
The immersion also included visits to three households, where they witnessed firsthand the barriers that have been affecting the child’s health and development such as limited resources and challenges in access nutritious food and safe water.
Beyond the household visits, the donors also took part in PD/H sessions, joining caregivers and community volunteers in preparing nutritious meals for undernourished children and took part in weighing of children enrolled in the program.
Glenda, one of the parents who benefitted from the PD/H program, noted the changes she noticed after her daughter finished the program: “Pagkatapos ng PD/H program, si Reign, napansin ko sa kanya na mahilig na siya kumain ng gulay, isda, at prutas. And hindi na siya naging sakitin.”
The experience left a lasting impression on World Vision donors who shared their reflections on the immersion:
“We often talk about the help we can provide, but it’s different when you actually visit the community because you can see its real needs firsthand,” shared Angel.
Likewise, Teri saw the significance of making a difference in a child’s life. “Just like in the story of the child throwing starfish back into the ocean, I know there are so many children in need, and I know I can’t help them all. But if I can help even just one, then I know I’ve made a difference in that child’s life.”
More than just a field visit, the trip served as a powerful invitation to look past the numbers and connect with human lives. By bringing the donors to Sorsogon, World Vision demonstrated how targeted interventions and partnerships can create a lasting effect for the children.
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