Marvin is just under one year old, and the youngest of three children. He lives with his siblings in a one-room cinderblock house with a tin roof in Guatemala. He loves to play with his ball, his toy cars, and his small toy motorcycle. His father works as a bricklayer and his mother works at home taking care of him and his siblings--most days they live on only a couple dollars, unable to buy even one fruit, vegetable, or egg per day for Marvin. Marvin has not been growing taller or gaining weight because he is malnourished. His body has not been receiving the nutrients and energy it needs to grow, not only leaving him very small for his age, but also weakening his immune system. In the past two weeks alone, he has suffered from diarrhea, a fever, and a bad cough--leaving him without an appetite and without the energy to play. In the long term, he could face a low IQ and chronic diseases if he does not receive treatment. Although Marvin is very sick, treatment is simple. His parents will receive in-home nutrition classes to teach them about what diet Marvin needs to be healthy. He will be a part of our growth monitoring program, ensuring he is responding well to treatment, and will receive food supplements and micronutrients to improve his diet and give him the energy he needs to play and grow. This treatment will give Marvin the chance to be a healthy baby, helping him grow, strengthening his immune system, and putting him on track to live a healthy and full life and escape the cycle of poverty and malnutrition he is currently caught in.

This is Ngae, a 58-year-old widow from Burma who has three daughters and two sons. Ngae sells a variety of vegetables to support her family, making about $2-4 a day. With a daughter married and living in Bangkok, Ngae works hard to put her young son through school and manage the rest of the family as well. Starting in November of 2015, Ngae’s health began to limit her ability to carry vegetables in a basket and sell her goods by the roadside. Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP) shares that at one point while selling corn, she suffered an unexpected uterine prolapse. For quite some time, Ngae has been ignoring her prolapsed uterus due to an inability to pay for, or access, treatment. But now, she is experiencing back pain, lower abdominal pain, and frequent urination. With $1,500, Ngae will receive the surgical treatment she requires, which may include a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) or repairs to prevent her uterus from falling out. Surgery will better illuminate a solution to her health condition through examination of the pelvic or apical reattachment ligament points. Pelvic examinations, blood work, and post-surgery respite are all included. BBP expects that Ngae will be able to return to her normal routine. Ngae says, “I want to have the surgery as soon as possible and I hope that my surgery will be successful. I want to return to selling vegetables on the roadside.”