World Vision Ireland Launches First-Ever Child Sponsorship Programme in the Solomon Islands

Press Release. - 15th September 2025 

World Vision Ireland has officially launched the first-ever child sponsorship programme in the Solomon Islands. This historic milestone marks a transformative shift in how World Vision works in the region, moving to supporting children and communities through long-term, locally led development. The programme, titled Iumi Tugeda for Pikinini (“Everyone working together for children”) represents a 13-year partnership with communities across the islands.

The Solomon Islands are facing acute challenges including climate vulnerability, economic fragility, and widespread child poverty. Rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and coral reef degradation threaten food security and livelihoods, while children face alarming rates of violence, malnutrition, and limited access to education and healthcare.

World Vision Ireland’s sponsorship programme is designed to address these issues through a holistic, community-led approach. It will focus on:
-    Early childhood education
-    Adolescent empowerment
-    Faith-based child protection

Delivered in partnership with local churches, schools, and government ministries, the programme is built on a foundation of community ownership and is closely aligned with national policies to ensure long-term sustainability and a strong focus on local priorities. It also features the “Reaching Communities Innovation Lab”, a grassroots initiative where communities work together to design solutions that reflect their needs and realities. 

Gillian Barnett, CEO of World Vision Ireland, said: “Through the Innovation Lab, we work side-by-side with communities to create solutions that truly reflect their needs. We’re building trust, fostering local leadership, and supporting children to grow up safe, healthy, and educated.”

This programme will be funded not by governments or institutions alone, but by ordinary Irish people who choose to sponsor a child. Child sponsorship is a deeply personal model, where each child is matched with a single sponsor. Sponsors receive updates, photos, and letters, and their monthly support helps children attend school, access healthcare, and thrive in safe environments.

And now, World Vision Ireland is inviting the Irish public to be part of this journey. By sponsoring a child, individuals can make a direct and lasting impact on a child’s life and walk hand-in-hand with communities working to build a better future.

“At World Vision Ireland, we believe that real change takes time. Our sponsorship model allows us, and our sponsors, to walk alongside communities for over a decade, strengthening local systems and supporting sustainable transformation. It’s a model that works, and one that we are proud to bring to the Pacific,” said Barnett. 

ENDS

Media interviews are available with Gillian Barnett, CEO of World Vision Ireland, and other World Vision representatives. To arrange an interview, please contact Róisín Drayne at roisin.drayne@worldvision.ie.