17-month-old Aicie is the only daughter of hard-working parents in the Philippines. Her father drives a “habal-habal” (motorcycle taxi), while her mother takes care of her and the household. Aicie is malnourished. Although she is thin and underweight, she loves to play outside with the neighborhood kids.
Aicie 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.
Aicie will begin ICM’s program on February 20. Her family needs help raising $184 to pay for the program.
“Someday, I hope my daughter will finish her studies,” shares Aicie’s mother. “I pray that she grows up strong and healthy.”
