They Come Seeking Help ...

The pictures above show a few of the thousands of children who come each week for screening and support.  

In the first image, Heidi, one of the program's senior doctors, is working with a young child who experienced "wasting."  The child's name is "Kondwani."  She was born on June 30th of 2007.  She ways just 5.3 Kg.  This child has "severe acute malnutrition."  With four to eight weeks of  "Chiponde" (peanut paste, milk powder, vitamins, vegetable oil, minerals, and sugar), children in this type of condition have very high odds for survival.  It is remarkable to watch children with little energy, limp, and somewhat lifeless re-acquire a bit of their "light" when they first taste the magic, nutritionally dense paste.

In the second image, a grandmother is holding a fourteen month old orphan named Amina.  As is true for close to 1,000,000 children in Malawi, Amina's parents died from HIV.  At this point, Amina is quite small for her age and height.  She too has severe acute malnutrition.

The third image portrays "Jirane."  She is three years old.  The man in the picture is her twenty three year old brother.  Her mother passed away last year.  Her father is working in northern Malawi far, far from home.  There are six children in the family.  The two older siblings, a brother and sister take care of the other four children.  Unfortunately, at this time, they have no food.  You may note the incredible swelling on "Jirane's" legs.  This is "Edima."  When a child experiences a prolonged period of malnutrition, their ankles, head, legs, and arms may swell.  In many cases, the swelling is so strong that the skin becomes shiny and sometimes breaks open.  Fortunately, this condition may be corrected relatively quickly with nutritionally dense foods.  In one to two weeks, with Chiponde therapy a child's Edema may be gone.  Then, the child is left with loose skin for a short while.  The clinical team feels hopeful that Jirane will fully recover.

The last image reflects the state a maln0urished child may move toward - little energy, upset, uncomfortable, eyes somewhat lifeless.  This child was able to eat and start on nutritional therapy.

All of these kids are vulnerable.  They don't have access to more than one or two light meals a day - typically mushed corn that is still left from last years harvest.

On many weeks, the clinical team screens one to two thousand children.  As we move farther and farther into the "hunger season,"  more and more children and mothers or other caretakers appear in long winding lines at the daily clinics.  Chiponde and other nutritional support is provided free to all children who appear to be in crisis - qualified as moderate to severely malnourished.