“We hope he can improve and have good development so he can be a teacher when he’s big,” shared Baudillo’s mother.
Baudillo is 14 months old, and the youngest of seven children in his family. He lives with his parents and older siblings in a one room adobe house with a tin roof in Guatemala. He absolutely loves to play with his ball, which he hates to share with his older siblings. His mother works at home, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. His father is a day laborer in the fields, making only a couple dollars per day when there’s work. Although his parents work hard, they do not have the resources to feed him even one vegetable, piece of fruit, or egg—the minimum that he needs to reach a healthy height and weight.
Baudillo is suffering from malnutrition, meaning that he is much too small for his age. Not only has his physical grown been stunted, but his immune system lacks the fuel necessary to fight off common sicknesses such as coughs, diarrhea, and fevers, which can be life-threatening for a malnourished child like Baudillo. Unfortunately, malnutrition also decreases his appetite—further worsening the problem. If Baudillo does not receive treatment, he could face the consequences for the rest of his life—such as short stature as an adult, lower IQ, a harder time focusing, and have trouble in school–all making it more likely that he will have lower-paying job as an adult and have children who are also malnourished.
For $512, Baudillo will receive growth monitoring, food supplements, and deworming medication which will help him grow, develop healthily both mentally and physically, and overcome malnutrition. His parents will receive nutrition education so they can learn how to best feed Baudillo, even with the little resources they have.
If Baudillo receives treatment now, he will be able to have normal mental and physical development, giving him a better chance to be a successful student and to one day be qualified for a well-paying job. This treatment will give Baudillo a better chance of escaping the cycle of malnutrition and poverty.