World Vision has been recognized for two groundbreaking initiatives that advance disability inclusion in humanitarian and development settings. Both projects have been awarded the 2025 Zero Project Award, announced on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, December 3.
The Zero Project, operating under the Essl Foundation, celebrates innovative, scalable, and impactful solutions that improve the daily lives of persons with disabilities, aligned with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Veivanua Campaign – Vanuatu
World Vision Vanuatu, in partnership with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), developed the Veivanua Campaign to address menstrual health for women and girls with intellectual disabilities during emergencies. In disaster-prone Vanuatu, these women often face exclusion from essential services, inaccessible facilities, and limited caregiver support, compounded by stigma and gender inequality.
The campaign, adapted from LSHTM and WaterAid’s Nepal-based Bishesta initiative, was co-designed with persons with disabilities, who were meaningfully involved in every stage of design, implementation, and evaluation. Vanuatu Services for Persons with Disabilities supported the adaptation process; women with disabilities crafted the practice dolls; and all materials were reviewed by carers and people with intellectual disabilities to ensure cultural and practical relevance. The campaign was delivered by facilitators with and without disabilities, and the evaluation team was also inclusive—capturing the direct voices and lived experiences of people with intellectual disabilities through interviews and photovoice, the first time menstrual health has been explored with this group in Vanuatu. Through household and group visits, facilitators delivered interactive storytelling, distributed reusable period packs with practice dolls, and engaged both male and female caregivers in building confidence and shared responsibility.
The campaign reached 30 young people with intellectual disabilities and 35 carers, demonstrating improved menstrual hygiene behaviors, autonomy, and caregiver confidence. Despite challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and cyclones, the program remained effective, leading to scale-up across Vanuatu, including Tanna Island. It now stands as a replicable, low-cost, and disability-inclusive model well suited for humanitarian contexts.
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Disability Case Management App – Malawi
World Vision Malawi’s Disability Case Management App addresses the critical gap in identifying children with disabilities in rural communities and linking them to appropriate services. Often, children with disabilities are not identified or referred, and even when services are provided, follow-up is limited, reducing impact on their well-being.
The app guides community workers through a structured assessment to identify each child’s disability and service needs. Based on responses, 136 recommended actions are generated, helping workers provide targeted support and follow-up, while national and district teams monitor service delivery and outcomes via PowerBI dashboards. The app’s development and ongoing refinement have been carried out in close collaboration with MACODA—the national council on disability affairs—as well as organizations of persons with disabilities, ensuring that the tool reflects lived experience and aligns with national priorities.
Originally piloted in Nepal in 2021, the app has expanded significantly in Malawi, supporting nearly 5,000 children across five districts in 2025, and has also been used in the DRC, Mozambique, Rwanda and Honduras. The app is designed to be scalable and cost-effective, usable by anyone with basic literacy, and already translated into Chichewa, French, Spanish, Kinyarwanda and Portuguese. Its data-driven approach informs government and NGO planning, parent support groups, and advocacy, ensuring that services improve the functionality and well-being of children with disabilities.
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A Commitment to Scalable, Inclusive Solutions
The 2025 Zero Project Awards highlight World Vision’s commitment to inclusive innovation, demonstrating practical, scalable solutions that meet the needs of persons with disabilities in both emergency and development settings. This recognition follows last year’s award for our digital accessible books initiative in Malawi, underscoring our continued focus on disability inclusion.
