#13 World Vision

#13 World Vision

World Vision is an organization that is Cluj and internationally based.  One of their main programs is a scholarship program.  They try to get donations that go towards a child.  In Cluj they had a family sponsorship from when a U.S.family donated money to a family in Cluj.  World Visions intervention programs include: education, economic, society and health.  After the people we met spoke for a little bit we watched a movie about World Vision.  WV helps children and communities in poverty.  They try to make a self sustaining community.  For example, building and partnering with schools, churches and businesses.  There approach is based on what has worked in other countries.  They develop a plan that works for 4-5 years.  Children are involved in the planning process.  The specialists involved in this plan include: educators, economists, citizens, people living in the community.  A social worker is placed in each community.

After communism, the first WV was made to help children in orphanages.  In Cluj, they set up child care, foster care and shelters.  They were mainly focused on child protection till it was taken over by the state.  In 1991, children institutions ere locked down.  Two of them reached out for help.  WV went in to help.  The WV founder was a pastor that volunteered in many different countries.  He went to Korea during the war and met an orphan child.  After witnessing the horrible conditions the pastor was sent back to the U.S. but began donating money.  

The U.S. is the main support office for WV.  Politics is what determines which communities need help.  Marketing is a huge part of promoting WV.  The money they receive can go directly to a family or to the community.  For example, some children receive scholarships to go to school in Cluj.  

WV was a lot to learn about and some parts of it were kind of confusing.  They seem to have a lot going on in a lot of different places,  It was difficult to ask some specific questions because there was much information.  I liked hearing about the founder of WV and I told that there is a book written about him.  I also want to look up other projects WV has done in other countries.