Meet Yoselin, a 20-month-old girl from Guatemala. The youngest of nine, Yoselin is the baby of the family.
Yoselin has acute malnutrition. “She is far below average for both her height for age and weight for age,” says our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK).
A nutrient-rich diet is essential for healthy child development. Without intervention, Yoselin is at risk of further health complications, including stunted mental and physical development and infection.
“Yoselin’s mother works caring for the children and the house and she also sells vegetables at the local outdoor market. Her father is a day laborer that does any odd jobs he can find,” WK says. However, their modest income is not enough to support Yoselin’s treatment.
Indigenous Guatemalan communities, such as Yoselin’s, often face food insecurity and limited education. As a result, these populations have some of the highest rates of malnutrition in the world.
For $535, Yoselin will receive nutritional therapy for her acute malnutrition. Micronutrient rich food supplements will be gradually added into her diet over a 90-day period. In addition, Yoselin’s mother will be enrolled in an intensive nutrition education. This course will provide her mother with the ability to care for Yoselin’s dietary needs throughout her childhood.
Intervention will give Yoselin the opportunity to experience a normal, healthy childhood. WK states, “This treatment will supply Yoselin with the growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and medication for her to recoup some of the weight and height she has lost.”
Yoselin’s mother shares, “My wish is that Yoselin finishes 6th grade. I never got to go to school and I think some education could make all the difference. I just need help making sure she will stay healthy and make it to that age.”
