This is Andrea, a five-year-old girl with malnutrition from Guimaras in the Philippines. Andrea loves to read storybooks and lives with her parents and two siblings in a house made of bamboo. They have no electricity and they use a kerosene lamp for lighting. Her father is a charcoal maker and is the main provider for their family.
One out of five children under five in International Care Ministries (ICM) communities is either severely or moderately acutely malnourished. In remote communities and urban slums of the Philippines, the lack of clean water and unclean environments add risk to potentially fatal childhood diseases.
For $268, Andrea will participate in ICM’s Home-Based Feeding program that provides nutrient enriched food packs to ensure that malnourished children can regain weight and achieve optimum physical and mental development. During this program, staff and community volunteers will make weekly visits to monitor Andrea’s progress. Additionally, Andrea’s family will be educated on proper nutrition, sanitation, and hygiene to ensure the healthy development of all members of their family.
“I hope she can finish school and have a healthy life,” shares Andrea’s aunt.