On May 15, we recognize International Day of Families as a day that shines a light on the essential role families play in every community around the world. Families are often a source of care and belonging, but many face daily challenges that threaten their stability. Limited access to resources places enormous pressure on caregivers already doing everything they can to support their loved ones.
Around the world, charities are working alongside these families to help meet those challenges. By providing nourishment, restoring access to health services, strengthening caregivers, and creating safe environments for children to grow, these organizations help families build a more secure future. When caregivers receive the support they need, the benefits extend beyond the home. Children are healthier, communities are stronger, and families are better equipped to move forward with hope and dignity.
The stories below reflect what is possible when families are met with compassion and practical support at the right moment.
ChildFund International
Dylan’s father disappeared when Ruth became pregnant at 19 years old and has never had a role in either of their lives. Ruth is the oldest of four and still lives with her mother and siblings in a small two-room concrete house in rural Imbabura Province, Ecuador. Ruth’s mother, also a single mom, suffers from a chronic illness that at times prevents her from performing household duties. The family farms potatoes as their staple crop, but the region has experienced drought over the last couple of years, and the harsh equatorial sun has withered much of their field. Ruth occasionally earns money as a cook when work becomes available, and with this meager income, she supports everyone in the home. In the first year after Dylan was weaned, his diet consisted mainly of potatoes and rice as the family struggled to find any other food in the harsh highland climate of the Andes Mountains. “My mother and I do not have food every day. The little I have, I give my son, and if I can’t eat, it doesn’t matter,” says Ruth.
Perhaps it was Dylan’s low-nutrient diet, or Ruth couldn’t breastfeed him as much as she needed to without enough food for herself, but by age 2, Dylan was severely malnourished and under-developed. “He was very weak; he was always sleeping. The little food he ate, he would vomit it up. He had a constant fever,” recalls Ruth. When Ruth took Dylan to the local government health center, she was told his condition was dangerous. It was then that Dylan’s name was placed on a referral list to participate in ChildFund’s Growing with You program.
Almost immediately, Ruth received a visit from an outreach worker with FOCI, ChildFund’s local partner organization. The worker brought a kit of much-needed food for Dylan and his mother which contained nutritious foodstuffs like eggs, powdered milk, lentils, fortified flour, oats, cooking oil, and cans of tuna. This was the first of many supplies to help get Dylan healthy. After the initial visit, Ruth began attending regular workshops put on by FOCI for parents of children under 6 years old, like herself. These workshops focused on themes like child health and nutrition, development, child safety, and positive parenting. Regular visits to their home would also occur, where field workers from FOCI would assess Dylan’s physical, emotional, and cognitive development. With increased knowledge and nutritional assistance, Dylan gradually began to put on weight and grow stronger over the next several months.
Today, Dylan, who just turned 4, is attending pre-kindergarten and defying expectations for a child who recently experienced severe acute malnutrition. Thanks to supporters of ChildFund’s work, Ruth will continue to attend workshops and receive nutritional kits as needed until Dylan leaves the Growing with You program. Lit up like a firecracker, “He has told me many times that he wants to be a doctor,” says Ruth. “Since my mother is sick, he wants to be a doctor and treat his granny.”
Heifer International
Behind a milk collection center in rural Rwanda, the aroma of food fills the air. Taking refuge in the building’s shade, local farmers are hard at work shucking corn, slicing tomatoes, and peeling potatoes — all freshly harvested from surrounding fields. They lay a patterned carpet on the concrete floor and heap cooked food onto plates for their soon-to-arrive guests: mothers and young children from nearby villages.
This is the Abakundinka Community Kitchen, a space for mothers to bring their young kids for a wholesome meal. Once a month, they gather with their children to enjoy a hearty plate of nutritious food. In Rwanda, where almost one-fifth of the population faces hunger and 38% of children under 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition, the Abakundinka Community Kitchen is vital. Limited access to nutritious and balanced diets can stunt children’s development, which can lead to behavioral problems and limit their economic opportunities in the future. The community kitchen’s plates are filled with all the major food groups, serving potatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables like bananas and tomatoes, and cow’s milk and meat.
Abakundinka Community Kitchen was born out of the Abakundinka Farmer Field School, a dairy farmers’ group working together to better manage their livestock, grow nutritious food, earn sustainable incomes and, now, nourish their wider community. Before the children dig into their meals at the community kitchen, one of the mothers makes her way around a circle of seated kids to pour clean water over their hands. Simple acts of improved hygiene like this can drive big changes in communities. The kitchen has nurtured a strong relationship with the local village leaders, and the monthly event is attended by a health facilitator, a trained community member who works to increase local awareness of issues like hygiene and nutrition. The facilitator supervises the kitchen’s activities and advises the mothers on what a balanced diet looks like.
Operation Smile
Meet Dilan, a child born with a cleft lip and palate whose life changed after receiving surgery through Operation Smile. Watch this video to see how access to surgical care can transform a child’s future.
SEE International
This video features International Host Ophthalmologist, Dr. Thomas Baah; Nigerian Ophthalmologist, Dr. Egbula Eni; and Edward Mensah, who was one of over 100 patients whose life changed during this Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery training program in Accra, Ghana. Watch this video to see how the surgery changes Edward’s life and allows him to work and support his family again.
SOS Children’s Villages
On a busy morning in Jimma, Ethiopia, Elfi was on her way to work when she heard a faint cry that made her stop. While others passed by, Elfi followed the heartbreaking sound — and found a one-month-old baby girl, swaddled and abandoned at the side of the road.
Cradling the infant, Elfi brought her to the local police. When no relatives could be found, the authorities asked a life-changing question: Would you foster this child?
Though Elfi and her husband had already raised four sons and believed their parenting years were over, they couldn’t turn away. They brought the baby home, named her Saniya, and welcomed her not just into their house — but into their hearts.
The couple joined SOS Children’s Villages’ family strengthening program, which supports foster families like theirs with parenting classes, health care, food support, and financial aid. In Jimma alone, over 100 caregivers are empowered to give children a safe, nurturing home through this initiative.
“The training has helped me so much,” Elfi said. “I’ve learned the importance of bonding over meals and greeting children with a smile and a hug.”
The couple soon adopted Saniya, embracing her fully as their own. But their story of compassion didn’t end there.
Seven years later, while visiting a friend at the hospital, Elfi once again heard the unmistakable cry of a newborn. Following the sound, she found another baby girl — abandoned and alone. Authorities were again unable to locate any relatives.
And once again, Elfi and her husband stepped in.
They brought the baby home, named her Yohanna, and wrapped her in the same love and care they had given Saniya. Now, both girls are thriving in a home filled with warmth, safety, and understanding.
Saniya, now 14, says, “My mom understands me. She’s open to everything — I can tell her my problems and my joys.”
Orbis International
Orbis works to ensure everyone can access the eye care they need to thrive. And that is exactly what they were able to do for Vaishnavi, a young girl from Darbhanga, Bihar, India.
Vaishnavi’s father, San, noticed something was wrong with her right eye and took her to a doctor in their village. Unfortunately, the doctor did not have the capabilities to treat her condition and recommended they go to a larger hospital. That’s where Orbis’ partner hospital, Akhand Jyoti Eye Institute (AJEI), comes in.
Vaishnavi and San were able to travel 150 kilometers by bus to AJEI, where Orbis was leading a training program in which volunteer medical experts (known as their “volunteer faculty”) were educating and training local doctors and nurses to perform sight-saving procedures. There, Vaishnavi was screened by their volunteer faculty members Dr. Donny Suh, from the United States, and Dr. Faiz Ashraf Faizy, a Pediatric Ophthalmologist at AJEI.
Vaishnavi, who loves pretty dresses, wore her favorite one on the day of her screening. And after determining that she had a cataract, the doctors scheduled her for surgery the following day. Vaishnavi came prepared, wearing another favorite dress and with a smile on her face. While San, a carpenter, had concerns about his daughter undergoing surgery, he knew it was the best option for her future. He said, “I want her to grow up and study. I don’t know where destiny will take her, but I definitely want to make sure that she studies.”
With the guidance of Dr. Suh and Dr. Faizy, the surgery was a success, and Vaishnavi’s cataract was removed. To everyone’s relief and joy, when the patch was removed, Vaishnavi could see clearly through her operated eye. Plus, the local eye care professionals who worked alongside Dr. Suh and Dr. Faizy can apply what they learned during Vaishnavi’s operation to help more patients like her in the future.
Orbis was overjoyed to have been able to help Vaishnavi on her journey to better vision and a brighter future. Treatment for cataract is simple and effective, yet it is still one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. That’s why they continue to train and empower local eye care professionals, like the ones at AJEI, to provide life-changing treatments to those in need.
Each of these stories shows what can happen when families are given the chance to thrive. A caregiver’s health improves, a child’s future opens up, or a home becomes a place of safety and trust. These changes may begin within a single family, but their impact reaches far wider, shaping stronger communities and brighter futures.
On this International Day of Families, consider marking the day by supporting the charities featured here. A donation is one way to help ensure families continue to receive the care and resources they need during critical moments in their lives. By standing with organizations that uplift families, you help turn compassion into action and make long-lasting change possible.
Thank you ChildFund International, Heifer International, Operation Smile, SEE International, SOS Children’s Villages, and Orbis International for providing content for this blog.
