Cecilia is the oldest child of two loving parents. They live in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof in Guatemala. They have a small plot of land where they cultivate squash and fruits. Her father works as a gardener, and her mother works at home, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of Cecilia. Even though they want the best for their daughter, they cannot afford to give her even one piece of fruit, vegetable, or egg per day.
As a result, Cecilia is suffering from malnutrition. She is not gaining weight and growing like she should, because her family cannot afford to give her a nutritious diet. This has slowed her mental and physical development and weakened her immune system. In the long term, she could face increased risk of low IQ and chronic diseases such as diabetes, and heart disease.
With $512, Cecilia can receive treatment to put her growth back on track. Growth monitoring, micronutrients and food supplementation will help her recover from malnutrition--saving her life now and putting her on track to live a better life in the future. Her immune system will grow stronger. This will further increase her appetite and help her develop mentally. Her parents will receive support to give Cecilia the diet she needs to grow and develop healthily.
Intervention now will prevent the future devastating effects of malnutrition and give Cecilia the chance to live a healthy and productive life, finish school, get a good job, and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made her sick in the first place.
Cecilia's mother shared: "We hope our little girl grows well so she can develop well in the future."