Name: Jane
Age: 3-years-old
Height: 2″3′ (70cm)
Weight: 8.1kg
Assessment:
Underweight, malnourished, stunted growth
*Real name withheld
Jane lives with her parents at an abandoned house. They were given permission by the owners to live there and serve as caretakers of the property. Unfortunately, they do not have access to electricity and drinkable water. The family raises goats as a way of living. However, they do not make enough from raising goats to meet their basic needs.
Food For Every Child Stories
A Big Heart And Even Bigger Dreams
Having lived on a small farm beside their home surrounded by fields and forests. Jane spent a lot of time with her family’s goats. From a young age, she developed a special bond with these gentle creatures. She loved playing with them, brushing their fur, and watching them frolic in the meadows.
Jane is passionate about these animals, and she became determined to help them in any way she could. She said she wanted to be an “animal doctor” so that she could heal sick animals and give them a second chance at life.
We do what we can to survive, but it is a struggle every day just to buy enough food
Limit Opportunities To Succeed
During our initial assessments, health workers found Jane to be malnourished, underweight, and suffering from stunted growth. She is very light and short for her age. Stunted growth in children is a serious problem caused by a lack of proper nutrition and food. Stunted growth occurs when a child’s physical growth and development is slowed down due to a chronic shortage of essential nutrients and vitamins. This condition can have far-reaching effects on a child’s overall health, cognitive development, and future prospects.
The primary cause of stunted growth is malnutrition, which can result from a lack of food or an imbalanced diet that lacks essential nutrients. In many developing countries, poverty and food insecurity are major contributors to malnutrition and stunted growth in children. Children who live in households without access to adequate food, clean water, and healthcare are at a higher risk of suffering from malnutrition and stunted growth.
How We are Helping
Following our initial assessment of Jane’s situation during one of our feeding programs, we immediately conducted a secondary assessment to determine the appropriate steps to take.
We listed the family as one of the beneficiaries of the food bank we had established for their community. The family receives a subsistence of one food box and a sack of rice each week. Jane is also being provided with a supply of vitamin supplements.
We conducted private seminars with the parents to educate them about nutrition and child health. We are closely monitoring Jane’s health and conducting follow-up visitations.
How You can Help
Your donations enable us to continue supporting children like Jane and their families. Every dollar you give goes towards providing food for these children. This allows them to focus on just being children instead of having to worry about going hungry.
You can make a difference by helping Jane and children like her struggling with hunger.
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Four siblings, Sarah, Sophie, Stella, and Steven, became orphans after they were abandoned by both their parents. The mother left when she separated from their father and neither of them wanted to take care of their children. The siblings were left alone and without any family to take them in.
Four-year-old James and his three-year-old brother, Joshua, live in a small village on an island in the Philippines. The brothers caught the attention of our volunteers not just because of their spritely nature but also because of their dire living and health situation.
Four-year-old Angel lives with her nine-year-old sister and their 32-year-old father in a small house in the mountains. Her mother, Jane, works as a housekeeper in the city several hundred kilometers away and she is only able to come home around once a month.
