Transformation stories

Daniel's fruit trees

Welsh farmer Daniel Sylvanis Jones’ dream was to visit Africa and to see first hand how farmers worked. Sadly, Daniel’s dream never materialised during his lifetime.  

When he died, instead of flowers at the funeral his family collected £500 for a World Vision farming project.   

In Daniel’s memory we are planting an orchard of fruit trees in Zambia. They’ll grow lemons, oranges, mangos, avocadoes and more, and will feed children and their families for many years to come. In time the surplus will also provide a source of income for the whole community. 

Girls' education in Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, many families can't afford to send their children to school and girls' education isn't prioritised. But thanks to donors – including a generous legacy gift – our Girls' Education Challenge project has been changing all of this.

Working with girls, schools and parents, we've started clubs to support girls in schools, trained and resourced teachers in 297 schools, and provided bicycles to 25,000 children who live far from their schools in partnership with World Bicycle Relief.

Women's empowerment in India

When World Vision first came to work with the Rajnut community in India, many women were sex workers. Most entered the trade at 16 or younger, often forced by their own families. Many of them contracted serious sexually transmitted diseases and faced regular abuse. 

Thanks to the generosity of supporters who left a gift in their Will, World Vision’s Jeevan Asha project has provided income generation programmes for women who’ve given up sex work. Through clubs and awareness programmes, children learn about the importance of education and are encouraged to take up a different career when they grow up.

Children's centre, South Africa

In Tebogo's area, many children were orphans because of HIV and AIDS.

At age 11 he was living alone with his younger brother and nobody could locate their parents. He was going to sleep hungry every day, collapsing at school and getting thinner and thinner. Some days he considered taking his own life.

Tebogo and his brother were just two of more than 70 vulnerable children who were helped by the drop-in centre. They received school uniforms, nutritious food, and could talk to caring adults. Their teachers saw big improvements.

Gifts made in Wills provided the start-up capital for the children's centre and provided resources like a water tank for the garden and training for the centre’s staff.

Rosemary Turnbull

Rosemary Turnbull was an incredibly active, efficient and passionate woman with a huge number of friends.

She loved children so much and cared deeply for them. As a primary school teacher, she was loved by many of the young children that she taught. When she discovered World Vision she was drawn to help and her loyal support continued for an incredible 26 years.

Inspired by Rosemary's generous heart, her family have chosen to honour her memory and continue fundraising for World Vision. In May 2015, her daughter Joey, along with other family members, took part in the Edinburgh Half Marathon. Their sponsorship, along with the gifts given at Rosemary's funeral, have raised over £3,000 for World Vision's work.

"I hope to continue Mum's support of this incredibly worthwhile charity and so hope that this is just the beginning!" Joey Turnbull. 

Mohamed Raza Suleman Bhimji

Throughout his life, Raza enjoyed immense warmth and affection from those that knew him. As the eldest of nine brothers and sisters, he experienced responsibility from an early age.

Raza was born into a business family in the northern port city of Bukoba, near Lake Victoria, Tanzania. He saw child poverty around him from an early age and never forgot how fortunate his own childhood was.

Encouraged by World Vision's values, he had sponsored children for many years and left a bequest to World Vision in his Will.

His son recalls, “My father would almost certainly have been inspired by the fact that despite being a Christian charity, World Vision is an organisation that helps children of all faiths all over the world”.

Inspired by Raza’s generous nature, members of his family have continued to honour his memory by supporting children’s charities including World Vision.

Steve and Nina Roberts

Steve and Nina had been happily married for three years when they learned that Nina had ovarian cancer.

The news was devastating but after surgery it looked like Nina would recover and the couple arranged to adopt a little girl.

Tragically, it never happened. Nina’s cancer returned and this time it was incurable. She died in November 2012. During that time, Steve developed serious health problems that led to his death the following June.

In 2010 though, Steve and Nina had drafted a mirror Will, leaving most of their estate to three charities that were dear to their hearts, including World Vision. Nina had sponsored a little girl called Mphatso from Africa, and was keen that the couple’s legacy be used to help us transform more vulnerable children’s lives.

Their gift of hope and love will help children for generations to come and will never be forgotten.

Mary Martin

Mary Martin has sponsored children with World Vision for 32 years and plans to leave a legacy.

"I hadn’t realised that I have been a sponsor for 32 years. My first sponsored child lived in Brazil and he must be about 37 now. I have kept all the photos and letters from all the children I’ve sponsored and I often wonder how each child has got on in the world.

As I never married and haven’t had children of my own, it’s been a blessing knowing that I have helped in some way to improve the lives of children a long way away and I have great admiration for those who work with the children and their communities, and for all those connected with the running of the charity.

We must all continue to do our bit to ease the suffering of children in whichever part of the world they live and that is why I will always be a sponsor and support World Vision - even when I’m gone."