“My dream for my son is that he grows well and is healthy like other kids,” shares Angel’s mother. Angel is a seven-month-old boy from Guatemala who currently lives with acute malnutrition.
“Angel is far below the average height and the average weight for his age. If intervention does not occur he will be at risk for the long-term effects of malnutrition and his immune system will continue to weaken, putting him in a very sensitive health state,” shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). “When Angel gets sick, his oldest siblings stays home from school to care for him, because his mother and father have to work during the day. This takes away from Angel’s siblings’ ability to learn, thrive, and work towards a better future.”
Indigenous Guatemalans are one of the most marginalized and vulnerable populations in the world. They live in rural areas and suffer from high rates of food insecurity. The poorest indigenous Guatemalan villages have the highest rates of growth stunting in the world.
“Angel lives with his 7 siblings in a simple adobe house in a rural village. His family is extremely poor and cannot afford medical attention for Angel,” adds WK.
$512 funds a multifaceted intervention for Angel’s malnutrition. “This treatment will supply Angel with the growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and medication for him to recoup some of the weight and height he has lost, overcome his pneumonia, strengthen his immune system, overcome his fever and cough, and increase his overall caloric intake. His mother will receive intensive nutrition education thus building her confidence and ability to care for Angel and his siblings throughout their childhood,” explains WK.