Young Joy lives with his sister and grandmother in a remote area in Laos. Both his parents have passed away.
His grandmother is the sole provider for the family, selling bamboo shoots to make ends meet.
Her income can barely support Joy and his sister and she often has to sacrifice buying schoolbooks, pencils or uniforms in order to put food on the table.
This is a common problem for poor families in Joy’s community, with children often dropping out of school as a result. When children like Joy aren’t able to get an education, the cycle of poverty continues.
World Vision has been working alongside the community to help improve access to education for underprivileged children like Joy.
Thanks to generous Australians who donated goods through the Gifts-in-kind program, 1,000 “Kids Kits” were put together.
These kits consisted of a backpack filled with school supplies that impoverished families would otherwise not been able to afford.
Joy was thrilled to receive a “Kids Kit”. He promised excitedly “I will study hard, and be a good boy!”