Ronel is a three-year-old boy from the Philippines. His father works as a sand hauler, and his mother cares for the children. Ronel enjoys playing with his siblings and the other kids in the neighborhood.
Ronel has been diagnosed with malnutrition. On February 20, our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM), will begin treating him for moderately acute malnutrition. ICM is requesting $184 for the treatment.
Ronel’s mother shares, “I hope that Ronel will recover from malnutrition and can continue school until he finishes.”
One out of five children under five in ICM communities is either severely or moderately malnourished. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. In remote communities and urban slums of the Philippines, the lack of clean water and unclean environments add risk to potentially fatal childhood diseases.
ICM’s home-based feeding program provides nutrient-enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get additional food to regain normal weight and achieve optimum physical and mental development. After identifying a child as malnourished, staff and community volunteers make weekly visits to monitor this child’s progress. To help sustain the health of the child, ICM’s professional staff educate the mother, guardian, or other family members about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and organic vegetable gardening.
