smiling Vietnamese girl

Orphans Need Our Help

Rescuing the Most Desperate and Vulnerable

Today there are millions of desperate orphans in the world. They need physical, emotional, and spiritual help. Vulnerable and desperate, only a fraction of them are in orphan care centers, while many others live day-to-day, scraping a living as best they can. The New Testament makes it clear that we are to “visit orphans… in their affliction” (James 1:27, ESV). 

Where your gift is going

boys playing outside

Rescuing an Orphan in Uganda

Abandoned by his father and mourning the death of his mother to AIDS, little 5-year-old Michael lived on the hard streets of Uganda, begging and stealing to survive. Brokenhearted and alone, he only knew whispers of Jesus and that he could call on his name.

When found by World Challenge partners, Michael was given his first healthy meal in months, presented with the uncompromising gospel message, and, for the first time since before his mother died, he slept in a warm, comfortable bed.

There are more than 150 million orphans in the world. Help us help them!

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction…”

James 1:27 (ESV)
Indian orphaned boy smiling

World Challenge is answering God’s call to help orphans in need. Today we are ministering to tens of thousands of orphans in 22 countries. But so many more need our help. Over the next 6 years we want to reach hundreds of thousands more, providing the much-needed care they need and sharing Jesus with them.

We hear the cries of the orphans and want to show them the love and compassion of Jesus. Won’t you consider partnering with us? Your donation will make a real difference in their lives.

Vietnamese children smiling and laughing
Globally there are more than 150 million orphans.
Orphaned Indian boy
Every day an estimated 5,700 children are orphaned.
Smiling orphaned Indian girl
Countries with the highest number of orphans include India (30 million); Nigeria (17.5 million); and Ethiopia (5.6 million).
smiling Peruvian girls with face paint
World Challenge is actively ministering to tens of thousands orphans in 22 countries.
smiling Albanian boy
In 2025, World Challenge is serving orphans in countries where Christians are most persecuted.

Sources: UNICEF, World Challenge, World Population Review.

“Together, we can not only rescue children from a life of abandonment, poverty, hunger, and living on the streets, but we can also give them a loving home, renewed health and emotional well-being, hope for the future, and, most of all, a new friendship with Jesus.” 

-Gary Wilkerson, World Challenge President