History

World Vision was founded in 1950 by Dr. Bob Pierce, an American pastor and war correspondent in response to the needs of Korean War orphans. He had travelled to China in 1947 and was deeply impacted by the needs of one little girl. Before he left, he took US$5.00 from his pocket and handed it to the headmistress of a Chinese missionary school, further pledging a monthly amount to support that little girl’s growth and education. This planted the seeds of World Vision’s child sponsorship model. As a humanitarian organisation, World Vision developed its first Child Sponsorship programme in Korea in 1953. As the children under the programme flourished, the programme expanded into other parts of Asia and eventually into Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Today, World Vision is an international partnership spread across more than 100 countries, a child-focused organisation known for its effective transformation models and emphasis on stewardship through accountability and transparency. Our 45,000 staff members worldwide work faithfully to implement programmes of emergency relief, education, healthcare, economic development and the promotion of justice among the poor and oppressed, that they may find life in all its fullness. World Vision is a living tribute to Dr Bob’s work.

World Vision Malaysia

World Vision Malaysia (WVM) was set up in 1997 as a Support Office within the partnership of World Vision International, with the primary focus of growing the child sponsorship programme amongst Malaysians and its neighbours. Over the years, WVM expanded to cover community transformational development programmes, specific advocacy initiatives and emergency response.

As a Support Office, the main role of WVM is fund-raising. Through a variety of awareness and fund-raising campaigns and partnerships with individuals and corporations, WVM reaches out to the poor, working with them to build a sustainable future and to provide them with access to health care, water, nutrition, basic education and economic transformation.

WVM raises funds via several projects, the key ones being:

• International Child Sponsorship Programme
• 30-Hour Famine
• Gifts of Hope Catalogue

Today, World Vision Malaysia supports community development and humanitarian programmes in 15 countries with the help of nearly 50,000 Malaysians (as of January 2017). We also have a community development programme in Tulid, Sabah which seeks to bring the local communities out of poverty and into self-sustainability.