Althea is a 14-month-old baby girl from the Philippines. She lives in a small bamboo house with her parents. They don’t have electricity, and they draw their water supply from a deep well. Althea’s father, John Rey, is a laborer, finding work whenever he can to provide for the family.
Althea loves to play with other kids in the community, but malnutrition is hindering her development. Fortunately, she will begin $184 malnutrition treatment on February 21.
Althea 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.
Her mother says, “I hope Althea can recover from malnutrition and can finish her studies. I am excited with the treatment and its potential results.”