Meet Marvin, a 13-month-old boy from Guatemala. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), tells us, “Marvin is a playful little boy who loves to play with a small plastic ball that he shares with his sister Yoselin. Yoselin is four years old; she is Marvin’s primary caretaker when their mother manufactures textiles for a living. Marvin likes to eat bananas. He lives with his mom and dad in a single room adobe mud house with a tin roof.”
Due to a lack of funds and nutrition education, Marvin currently lives with acute malnutrition. “Marvin is below the average height and the average weight for his age,” WK reports. ”If Marvin does not receive intervention, his health will continue to decline and be at risk for the long-term effects of malnutrition. He will face physical and mental stunting that limits his ability to succeed in school and the workforce.”
As a result of food insecurity and marginalization, indigenous Guatemalan villages have the highest rates of stunting in the world. In addition to growth stunting, malnutrition can lead to lower IQ, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity in the future.
$512 will fund the treatment Marvin needs to address his nutritional deficit and improve his low energy and subsequent limited mental potential. This involves micronutrient and food supplementation, deworming medication to rid Marvin of a parasitic infection, and nutrition education for his parents. With these combined efforts, Marvin will recoup his weight and height and strengthen his immune system, laying the foundation for a healthier future.
“Thank you for all you want to do for us. It will be such a great help,” shares Marvin’s mother.
