June 16 will mark the 23rd anniversary of the Day of the African Child, a day of remembrance commemorated by ChildFund’s offices and program areas in the Africa region.[Read more in my Huff Post this month.]

We also asked children to tell us their hopes and dreams for Africa. Peace and development are high priorities for Rohey, a 12-year-old girl from The Gambia, and John, an 11-year-old boy from Zambia.

“Personally, what I want to see for Africa is the availability of quality hospitals and more school for us. This is because I want to be the minister of health and social welfare when I grow up. In addition to that, I will also want our leaders to come together and create everlasting peace in Africa.” – Rohey

“I always want Africa, my continent, to develop so that we can make our own cars and airplanes to sell to countries outside Africa. Then Africa will have enough money, and people will never live in poverty again.” – John

By Martin Nanawa, ChildFund Philippines Each morning, Marialyn wakes to the voices of fishermen returning from a night at sea. A cool ocean breeze carries the scent of salt and brine through the sl…

As we recognize World Day Against Child Labor today, June 12, I wanted to share one example of how ChildFund is working to educate parents and communities about the rights of children and helping children who’ve had to drop out of school find a pathway back to their dreams.

The “Kuriton” [wordplay between the Filipino word kariton for pushcart, and the local Bicolano word kurit, for drawing or writing] mobile classrooms, supported by ChildFund, take art advocacy workshops in visual arts, theater, poetry, storytelling and photography to children in the remote villages of Bicol, the Philippines. It’s amazing to see their faces light up.

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POSTED BY KATHLEEN GUERRA | JUNE 7, 2013

In Guatemala, we recently hosted the Secretary of State during his participation in the Organization of American States General Assembly in Antigua, Guatemala, a beautiful colonial city that was formerly the country’s capital. As Cultural…

Great to see Secretary Kerry giving an audience to youth in Guatemala! ChildFund has worked with children and youth in Guatemala since the 1960s.

In the past year, more than 170 governments have renewed their commitment to ending preventable child deaths. This movement began last June when the governments of Ethiopia, India and the United States, together with UNICEF, gathered more than 700 public, private and civil society sector partners for the Child Survival Call to Action.

That meeting energized a global movement for child survival, with the goal of reducing child mortality rates to 20 or fewer per 1,000 live births in every country by 2035. Furthermore, leaders across the world are taking strategic steps in their own countries to provide lifesaving care for mothers and newborns to achieve better rates of child survival.

It’s encouraging news that in one year’s time, 173 governments have pledged to redouble efforts on child survival. More than 200 civil society organiations, including ChildFund, 91 faith-based organizations and 290 faith leaders from 52 countries have signed their own pledges of support.

To learn more about A Promise Renewed and to join the global movement, visit http://www.apromiserenewed.org

On May 25, the African Union marks the 50th anniversary of hard-fought efforts to promote unity, economic development and a better life for Africa’s people.

We asked children in our ChildFund programs in Kenya to express their vision for Africa. Here’s what they had to say:

“That the children of Africa will live a life free of hurt and pain.” – Maxwell, 12 

“Children should not be forced into child labor. They should get an opportunity to go to school and get educated.” – Valentine, 13

“I dream of an Africa whose children get a chance to an education, free of drugs and girls are not forced into early marriage.” – Angela, 13

Maxwell, Valentine and Angela