Isaiah is a “talkative boy who is very energetic when he is feeling well. He likes to make houses out of mud and sticks and play with the other children in the village,” shares our medical partner, the Kellermann Foundation (KF).
Three-year-old Isaiah’s parents are subsistence farmers in Uganda, where they farm millet, beans, cassava, sweet potatoes, and have some avocado trees. They also dig crops for other farmers in exchange for goods they do not make themselves, like soap. Their entire means of life rely on having a successful harvest.
In 2015, there was an extremely unusual harvest pattern in Uganda. An extended dry spell in the region when there should have been ample rains caused widespread damaging of crops, and then the flooding of fields. Isaiah’s family is one of many families that have suffered and need temporary assistance.
Isaiah has developed malnutrition with associated edema, or swelling, and needs treatment. Left untreated, Isaiah will suffer diarrhea and susceptibility to disease with a weakened immune system.
For $375, Isaiah will receive IV fluids with therapeutic nutrition for 10 days, which is enough for Isaiah to avoid the dangers of malnutrition and continue developing at a normal rate.
Isaiah’s father mentions that for next season he would like to try growing corn so he can make “posho,” a local corn based porridge. Isaiah’s mother is “overjoyed and very grateful for all the help from Watsi supporters.”
