Children & Youth
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Photo: Sean Sheridan for Mercy Corps
Teaching the next generation and keeping them healthy are essential to tomorrow's strong, vibrant societies. Mercy Corps works with communities to shelter and nurture children and youth through innovative education, sports and job training programs.
Through the power of sports, community service and vocational training, we empower young people to make smart life choices and find a productive place in the changing global economy.
Our signature Comfort for Kids program focuses on helping children process trauma after natural disasters and conflict. See our expert's recommendations for how parents and caregivers can help children through times of crisis ▸
All stories about Children & Youth
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West Bank and Gaza: Getting Google to Gaza November 1, 2011
Through an innovative Mercy Corps’ partnership with Google and the Source of Hope Foundation, young Palestinian web developers receive firsthand training and mentoring from engineers and business people from cutting-edge technology companies – as well as potential seed capital funding.
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Libya: Comforting kids in Misrata October 18, 2011
When unrest began in Libya earlier this year, Misrata was at the very center of the conflict. Today, as I look around this city, signs of prolonged fighting are visible everywhere: destroyed buildings, abandoned shops, streets littered with garbage.
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Ethiopia: A mother's appeal October 17, 2011
We’re outside the Mercy Corps office in Gashamo, Ethiopia – a bone-crunching nine hour drive from Jijiga, the regional capital. It’s early in the morning, and the noisy generator is cranking out its last few minutes of power before we shut it down for the day.
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Ethiopia: 'You gave my baby a second life' October 12, 2011
When Istohil Sheik Ahmed Abdi brought her 9-month-old son Sahane to the Mercy Corps mobile clinic in her area, she hoped to learn why he was so weak. The baby cried constantly, was vomiting and refused to nurse. He had a high fever.
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Ethiopia: When no tears come October 12, 2011
There was already a crowd at the mobile health site when we arrived. The veranda was a colorful swirl of fabric. Most of the women had a bulge at their side, belly or back that turned out, when unwrapped, to be a baby.
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Libya: Youth on the frontlines October 12, 2011
Young people here in Libya are looking to promote positive change and have been significant in Mercy Corps' efforts.
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Kenya: Cash grant, food provide relief to family October 10, 2011
I met Sangaba Abdi Gullet at Barmil during our cash distribution activities. She looked more distressed than the rest of the beneficiaries. From her face, we could tell she’d been through very tough times.
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West Bank and Gaza: Empowering the techno-geeks of Palestine October 10, 2011
This summer, I attended an event in the Gaza Strip with 100 computer-science students and budding entrepreneurs about the latest open-source software and development tools, showcased by engineers visiting from Google.
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Haiti: Art therapy camp for Port-au-Prince youth October 1, 2011
This past August, we took 20 school-age children to a mountainside retreat outside Port-au-Prince for six days of activities designed to heal emotional wounds from the 2010 earthquake.
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Haiti: Peace Day in Mirebalais September 26, 2011
On September 21, Mercy Corps and Partners In Health teamed up to celebrate International Peace Day in Mirebalais, Haiti.