Iker is a playful, 10-month-old baby boy who lives with his parents and older brother in an adobe house in Guatemala. Iker enjoys eating fruit, bananas being his favorite, and he eats eggs and beans whenever his parents can buy them.
Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), tells us that because of this limited access to the nutritious food he needs, Iker is living with malnutrition. “His height and weight are far below the average for his age, and he is lagging developmentally behind his peers.”
Along with the lack of hearty and nutritional food, his condition is amplified by a gastrointestinal disease that has “prevented this little boy from absorbing the nutrients necessary to grow.” WK shares. “Without intervention, this will then affect Iker’s ability to build a strong immune system, thus increasing his susceptibility to other illnesses.”
$512 pays for a thorough diagnostic work and treatment for Iker. A deworming medication will help his ability to absorb the micronutrient supplementation he will receive. “His immune system will strengthen, and his energy will increase,” WK adds. “Over time, he will be able to recoup the weight and height he has lost, and catch up to his more healthy peers.”
His family will also be paired with a nutritionist that will help plan meals and monitor his growth. “In this program, his mother will receive intensive nutrition education that will give her skills to purchase nutrient dense food options and prepare healthier meals.”
His mother shares: “Without this, I am not sure my little Iker would be able to get better.”
