Joy is a 21-month-old toddler living in the Philippines with her parents and siblings. They source their water from a nearby well, and they share electricity with their neighbor. Joy loves playing with her siblings at home.
Joy is underweight, and she has been diagnosed with moderately acute malnutrition by our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM). One out of five children under five in ICM communities is either severely or moderately acutely 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.
Fortunately, Joy began ICM’s malnutrition treatment program on October 18, 2016.
ICM’s Home-Based Feeding program provides nutrient-enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get the 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. The total cost of the support and resources Joy needs is $184, and her family is unable to afford this cost on their own.
Following her treatment, Joy’s nutrition will improve and her risk of complications and fatality will significantly decrease.
“I am praying that Joy will finish her studies and become a successful person someday,” shares Joy’s mother.