Gloria is a baby girl from Guatemala who is far too small for her age. Despite being eight months old, she is the size of an average four-month-old. Gloria is severely malnourished due to consuming too little protein and too few calories and nutrients. Her poor diet is not only affecting her size but is also weakening her immune system, causing to her almost constantly have a cold, fever, or diarrhea. If Gloria does not receive treatment, she could face long-term consequences such as increased risk of chronic diseases, low IQ, and a higher likelihood of dropping out of school.
Gloria lives with her parents and four older siblings in a one-room house made of cinderblocks with a tin roof. Her father works as a day laborer, earning only a couple of dollars per day harvesting beans, corn, and squash. Her mother takes care of Gloria and her siblings. She also wakes most mornings before dawn to look for firewood to sell while carrying baby Gloria on her back. Although the family wants the best for Gloria, they cannot afford to give her even one piece of fruit, vegetable, or egg per day. This makes it impossible for her to overcome malnutrition without medical treatment.
For $512, Gloria will receive growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation to help her recover from malnutrition. Her parents will receive the support they need to feel empowered to give Gloria the diet she needs to grow and develop normally, even with their limited resources.
With treatment, Gloria will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children her age. Her immune system will grow stronger with the increased caloric intake. This will further increase her appetite and help her use the extra calories for healthy growth and development instead of for recovery from frequent bouts of diarrhea.
Intervention now will prevent the future devastating effects of malnutrition and give Gloria 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.
“I dream that my daughter grows healthy,” shares Gloria’s mother. “And when she’s big, she can study to be a teacher in the community.”