8-year-old Xiaohua lives with his parents and 3-year-old younger brother in the deep mountains of Yongsheng county, Yunnan province. Xiaohua’s father does part-time jobs in places near the village, while his mother works in the fields and takes care of the family. In spit of this, life has always been difficult. They can barely make ends meet.

“In your young heart lies the power to change the world.” These were the words of Mr Suresh Bartlett, National Director of World Vision Sri Lanka, at Vision Youth: Making Our Mark organised by World Vision Singapore on 17 January 2015.

A fried egg and sticky rice for lunch puts a smile on the faces of Ning, 11, and her brother Tony. Chicken and ducks raising is not only a source of nutritious food for their family, but also a good source of income.

After the orientation and briefing at World Vision's office, I started racking my brain for gifts for my dear little brother (my sponsored child). What size should I get for him? How tall is he? Will he enjoy some eduational toys?

Typhoon Hagupit -- its name means "lash" in Filipino -- moved west-northwest and targeted the city of Legazpi, just north of where the storm made landfall on Saturday, 6 December. World Vision assessment teams are on the ground in Tacloban, just hours after powerful Typhoon Hagupit slammed the region still reeling from last year’s deadly Typhoon Haiyan.

Mongolia – an exotic and faraway land; a country that I knew very little about. So when our Human Resources department presented World Vision’s list of children up for sponsorship*, I chose to sponsor a child from Mongolia; out of curiosity more than anything else. That was 4 years ago. Little did I know then that this decision would lead to an eventual trip (company sponsored!) to that very country to meet with my sponsored child.

A group of 13 strangers embarked on a journey to Tien Lu earlier this year in April. They met with different stories but ended with a shared inspiration – that it is not so much about what they can give to the poor but what being among them can do to enrich their lives.