For years, our hearts have been broken by the conflict in Syria. This holiday season, the images of children hurt and even targeted by the violence, especially in Aleppo, seem almost too much to bear.

People around the world have been expressing solidarity for those suffering in Syria by lighting a candle in their honour. 

At World Vision we’re blessed to work in nearly 100 countries around the world. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, but there are many, many families who do. We get an inside look at all the different ways people celebrate Christmas around the world, and we wanted to share just a few of our favourite stories.

For years, our hearts have been broken by the conflict in Syria. As we near the holiday season, the images of children who have been hurt and even targeted by the violence, especially in Aleppo, seem almost too much to bear. 

The ceasefire in eastern Aleppo has shattered, stalling the evacuation plan to get people out of the city on buses. As eastern Aleppo lies in ruins, the reports of violence against the children of Aleppo signal a terrifying new chapter in the Syrian Crisis. 

Canadians are pretty generous - that's a fact. How do we know? We've got the numbers to prove it! 

In September a group of Canadians collected donations provided by friends, family, colleagues, doctors, and even dentists to give to children in Tanzania. Read more about what it was like seeing those donations distributed.

This Human Rights Day, we're reflecting on a few gifts that offer hope for a better future, and can impact the lives of children and families forever.

13-year-old Nimco lives in the Baki district of northwestern Somalia, an area of the country that’s been devastated by years of civil war. Her village had a serious shortage of latrines. Until recently, 70 per cent of people were relieving themselves outside, causing sanitation issues that led to sickness and even death.

We all gathered under a large Baobab tree in the community of Manonga, Tanzania. It seemed as though the whole community had come out to see us and share the progress they had made with their irrigation project.

Dulamsuren is a 12 year-old girl in Mongolia. She lives with her family in this house, called a ger. A few winters ago, a blizzard devastated her father's herd of sheep and goats. 
 

It all started when Rosemary's grandfather Danford received five goats in 2011. "Here comes the freedom," Danford said he told himself.

Questions raced through my mind as we got closer to the remote family farm. I was about to meet my sponsored child!!

Growing up in Senegal, I went to school with kids from all over the world. In that environment, surrounded by the poverty of our host country, my parents taught me to value the cultures and traditions of people from all walks of life, to practice compassion for all, and to celebrate the things that made each of us unique.

In early 2015, Vandervoort went on the journey of a lifetime to Kenya, to see the different projects that World Vision offers the community.

Children like Hamaad, Manal, Ahmed, Aman and Raqwa* have been through more terror before the age of 14 than most Canadians will endure in a lifetime. In fact, Iraq is now home to 3.3 million internally displaced people and 8.4 million people in need.

With the military offensive approaching Mosul, Iraq, scores of children and their families from outlying villages are already fleeing to an overcrowded Camp near Erbil in northern Iraq.

On October 4th my colleagues and I anxiously watched the news as Hurricane Matthew tore through Haiti. All of us were hoping and praying that the damage would be minimal, but the storm was deadly.

I lived in Haiti for 8 months after college. Immersing yourself in a different culture is exhilarating - I thrived on the challenge of trying new foods and learning a new language. What was most fascinating to me about Haitian culture, was the purpose behind their daily details. Specifically, in the food they made.

I live in Toronto, a city full of high rises and a population over 6 million, if you include the surrounding suburban area. While the city is not usually known as a hotbed for sustainable living, you will find farmers’ markets scattered around the cit.