Children's Feeding Project
Helping Is Not a Hobby
Meet José on February 24, 2007
He is listless. His hair is falling out. His arms are pencil-thin. His belly is distended. His eyes are vacant. He is suffering from malnutrition.
Meet José on December 3, 2007
He is a round-faced, energetic, mischievous little boy. After 10 months of the Self-Help feeding project, he has made remarkable progress. He now has a better chance to fight off disease, to stay alert in school, to grow into adulthood, to become a contributing member of his family and his nation. All because of a few kernels of corn and some people who cared.
Self-Help is focusing efforts on infant and child feeding
projects in Ghana and Nicaragua
where corn porridge is the primary weaning food. Porridge
made from QPM and small amounts
of barley malt is being fed to more than 2,500 children
to alleviate malnutrition. This combination increases
digestible protein and caloric intake, reducing stunted
growth in children.
Maybe the strongest evidence is with children like Jose
or with Yakubu in Ghana.
Yakubu’s Story
He started coming to Self-Help’s once a day feeding program at 23 months of age in January of 2006. He weighed 26 lbs and was 87.7 cm tall (about 34 ½ inches). He was physically weak and lethargic. His hair was tinted orange from protein and vitamin deficiencies.
In July 2006 (about six months later), the staff noticed some physical improvements including increased energy level although his eyes remained glassy and there was still a tint of orange in his hair. Here is his photo from July. Since January, he gained 2.6 lbs and grew 3.7 cm (almost 1 ½ inches).
Yakubu in January 2007
Notice the difference? He is an active, healthy, alert and happy child. During the past year of a once-a-day diet of QPM porridge with a pinch of barley malt, he has gained 7.3 lbs and grew 8.1 cm (over 3 inches).
Self-Help works closely with mothers and preschool staff to explain the benefits of Quality Protein Maize (QPM) in the diets of infants and children. Nearly 2,500 children in Ghana and Nicaragua have received QPM porridge with pinches of barley malt to increase protein and caloric intake. Barley malt liquefies food, making it easier to ingest and digest and enhances QPM’s benefits.
Over 20 preschools have participated in the program
Children are taught proper hygiene. Fruit trees are planted at the schools for added vitamins. Schools are growing their own QPM. Malnutrition is being alleviated. SHI provides informal training to mothers in family healthcare to improve nutrition, sanitation, hygiene and malaria prevention. Loans are available for mothers to grow their own QPM seed and purchase other materials to cultivate crops to benefit the entire family.
Will you help?
