Many vulnerable families don’t have the means to escape poverty because of lack of jobs or sanctions that drive up prices on essential products. They suffer the consequences of their government’s actions.

Impoverished families often resort to desperate measures for money. Zafira from Qala, Afghanistan experienced this firsthand when her family arranged her marriage for a dowry payment. She was just 11 years old. “I hope that one day Afghanistan is free, that all women, in all corners of the country, have a job where they can earn money, and that nobody can subject them to violence,” says Zafira.

● In countries that lose economic stability because of war, a shift in government, or a natural disaster, unemployment rates can routinely rise above 20%.

● Many societies rely on the father as the sole breadwinner. Without them, the whole family has no income.

Parents don’t just sell their children or put them to work! Our reporter Helene discovers it’s far more complicated than that. Take 2mins as she takes us to rural Afghanistan and a refugee camp in Lebanon, speaking to resilient children determined to build a future.

More Issues

Chronic conflict

When deep-seated tensions over land, culture, and leadership boil over into war, conflict can last years or decades –– and its effects often last much longer in impoverished areas.

Climate

What are some effects of climate change that you see around you? Does child marriage, child labour, child exploitation or forced displacement happen to come to mind?

Natural Disasters

Droughts that ruin harvests. Earthquakes that destroy homes. Deadly diseases that infect thousands. Natural disasters are hard to predict and harder to recover from for many vulnerable populations.

Refugees

1% of the world's population is displaced. Refugees and those forcibly displaced face realities most of us simply can not comprehend.

Social Upheaval

In places where religions and cultures clash, the things we rely on to stay constant – education, social customs, the respect of human rights – can change drastically for the people caught in the middle.

Sudden Conflict

Gang activity, terrorism, or civil unrest are less predictable than other forms of violence, and take advantage of the poor communities of the world’s most dangerous places.

Weak Governance

We should expect that any government would provide for its people in times of crisis. Sadly, many vulnerable people in the world’s most dangerous places are ruled by governments that are unwilling or unable to provide the most basic safety to their citizens.