Two-year-old Alyn lives with her parents and her older sister in a one-room cinderblock house in Guatemala. Her favorite thing to do is to play with her dolls and plastic tea set with her older sister.
Alyn’s parents are worried because they have noticed their daughter is getting sick more often than the other children in their village, and won’t eat any food that isn’t a liquid. Alyn’s poor appetite, weak immune system, and slow growth are due to acute malnutrition. These symptoms all make it likelier that Alyn will have lower-paying job as an adult and will also raise children with malnutrition.
However, Alyn’s parents cannot currently afford to feed her the vegetables and protein that she needs in order to escape the acute stage of malnutrition that she has fallen into. Although Alyn’s parents work hard as a seamstress and day laborer, together they make only about a couple dollars per day.
For $512, we can help Alyn recover. She will receive food supplements, deworming medication, and lab tests that will ensure she develops at a healthy pace, both mentally and physically. Her parents will also receive motivational nutrition education so they can learn how to best feed Alyn on their budget.
If Alyn receives treatment now, she will be able to have normal mental and physical development, giving her a better chance to be a successful student and to one day be qualified for a well-paying job.
“We dream that our daughter will be a great teacher,” shares Alyn’s mother.
