Children & Youth
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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DR Congo: Boy in Buhimba IDP camp, Congo January 13, 2011
A boy living in the Buhimba camp for families displaced by war, outside the city of Goma, DR Congo.
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Haiti: Today I'm living another way January 11, 2011
I've been working with Mercy Corps for four months now on the Moving Forward project. Moving Forward is a sport and play-based psychosocial support program designed for youth affected by the January 12 earthquake here in Haiti.
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Kyrgyzstan: A warmer New Year's Day for some deserving kids January 4, 2011
A big "RAHMAT" — "thank you" in the Kyrgyz and Uzbek languages — to our donors who helped us respond to the crisis in Kyrgyzstan!
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Indonesia: The importance of washing your hands with soap January 3, 2011
The emergency response team here in the tsunami-stricken Mentawai Islands has been preparing for a hygiene promotion campaign for survivors, and today was their first day in action!
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Haiti: The power of play December 29, 2010
Herma Pierre, 13, is beating the odds. She survived the earthquake. And she’s growing up in Port-au-Prince’s toughest slum. Six years ago, Cité Soleil was a war zone. Violence has subsided in recent years, but for girls like Herma, guns and gangs still pose a serious threat.
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Haiti: The long road to recovery December 29, 2010
The Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti decimated the capital city of Port-au-Prince, killing more than 230,000 people. It was a tragic blow to a country where 55 percent of the population already lived below the poverty line of $1 a day.
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Indonesia: Bringing healthy street food to Tegal Alur December 27, 2010
“Hi friends! Come to My Child's Café… choose and get various healthy snacks here,” said a catchy jingle that played during over the grand opening of My Child Café and its healthy kitchen in West Jakarta's impoverished Tegal Alur neighborhood.
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'Let's hope it won't take another earthquake to continue this work' December 10, 2010
It’s the beginning of summer here in southern Chile. The weather is spectacular and everyone has something to be happy about. Schoolchildren look forward to the end of classes and the start of their long vacation.
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Indonesia: Helping Indonesian mothers keep their babies healthy December 8, 2010
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Yemen: Engaging youth for a peaceful and productive future December 7, 2010
Mercy Corps opened offices in Yemen in October, 2010 to work with local partners to implement a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) program that engages young people in constructive community activities — thereby reducing their vulnerability to the negative influence of vio