Ruth is a one-year-old girl from the Philippines who has severe malnutrition. She lives with her family in a bamboo house. Her father, Rodrigo, is a fisherman. Ruth loves to crawl and to play with her siblings. One out of five children under five in communities served by our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM), is either severely or moderately acutely malnourished. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. Malnutrition weakens the immune system, making children especially susceptible to illnesses caused by unclean drinking water. Mental and physical growth can also be delayed. Fortunately, on October 19, Ruth began a $268 home-based feeding program. This will provide her with enriched food packs to make sure she gets the nutrients she needs. Her parents will also receive education on nutrition, sanitation, and vegetable gardening. "I pray that my daughter Ruth will...recover from her condition as a malnourished child and that she will become a strong person and finish her studies someday," Ruth's father says.