Jomar is a small five-year-old boy from the Philippines. He lives with his family in a house made of bamboo and metal sheets. Jomar loves running and playing with his friends and classmates. The family’s main source of income is fishing.
Without nutritious meals, Jomar has developed a bloated belly and is living with acute malnutrition. Fortunately, on February 21, Jomar will begin $184 malnutrition treatment.
Jomar will be treated by International Care Ministries (ICM), a Watsi medical partner. 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.
Jomar’s mother says that she wants Jomar to grow healthy and strong and she hopes that he will finish his studies.