Give Malnourished Children Life in Africa
The shrill cry of a baby jarred the jogger back to reality. It was the last thing he expected to interrupt his early-morning run along the blue-green Indian Ocean waters that lapped gently against the white sands of Madagascar's Toamasina beach.
The male jogger quickly headed toward the feeble cries. He discovered palm tree branches covering a hole in the sand and sheltering a helpless baby. He reached down and gently lifted the child out of the hole.
The abandoned toddler screamed even louder. The baby was painfully thin, dressed in rags, and obviously hungry. The tiny little girl was also badly injured with a burn on her scrawny right leg.
Carrying the baby in his arms, the jogger desperately raced to the children’s ward of Toamasina’s central hospital. He knew that ADRA had implemented a program to help children suffering from the most acute forms of malnutrition.
When the jogger arrived, Vluluna (a nurse trained by ADRA) took immediate care of the baby girl, she named her Sonia. A quick assessment led her to conclude that Sonia was just 18 months old.
With 12 beds, all occupied, ADRACRENI (Center for Intensive Recuperation and Nutritional Education) for malnourished children in Toamasina receives an average of three new cases like Sonia every day. The place is shockingly quiet. It seems that none of the children have enough strength to cry—even when hungry. They just numbly stare into space.
In reality, most children in Madagascar are threatened by starvation. Rural dispensaries see children showing a range of symptoms that indicate that they suffer from severe cases of malnutrition. The children are then rushed to the ADRA-CRENI center in Toamasina, the second largest city of the island.
This program is vital in countries such as Madagascar, where entire families are starving. Life expectancy is 56 years, and only five percent of the population attends high school. Symptoms such as low weight, lack of muscle mass, and absence of hunger are obvious to the untrained eye.
But some children between ages one and four can develop "kwashiorkor edema,” in which the children have been undernourished for so long that they begin to appear “fat,” and they look wellfed. This is deceiving for parents who know no better.
Sadly, without training for parents, scores of children will continue to die—not just from lack of food, but from hunger-related diseases. Severely malnourished children are at risk of hypoglycemia, hypothermia, dehydration, micronutrient deficiencies, and various infections.
ADRA is working hard to save as many children as possible. The treatment at the ADRA center involves two phases: stabilization through intravenous nutrients; and then, once their appetite returns, a diet of food high in protein.
Mothers with older children are welcome, and ADRA feeds all family members during their stay at the center, which lasts an average of one month. While babies are under the special care of dedicated medical staff, other ADRA team members provide basic balanced nutrition and hygiene classes for moms.
“These families are so poor that they not only have very little to eat, but also are unable to balance a diet or even read medicine labels,” says Vluluna. “We teach them with pictures and give practical cooking lessons with food provided by ADRA.”
“I learned that I should vary baby food, give flour and enriched milk, and add fish and fruits such as bananas,” says Jacqueline, a young mother whose voice is full of emotion. She is 19 years old, and her baby, Marine, is still in danger with heart problems that developed due to acute malnutrition.
The ADRA nutrition center heals, feeds, trains, and provides for transportation costs.
“Local dispensaries send patients to the center before they reach a critical condition. This really increases the child’s chances of a full recovery,” says Josué Npyayamaguru, the ADRA local project manager.
Baby Sonia is still extremely thin by western standards, but she is out of danger. She has already gained several pounds and is starting to thrive.
Sadly, her life and millions worldwide like hers are affected deeply by malnutrition. She has never laughed, smiled, or played, in spite of Vluluna’s games and activities. This indicates that she not only was abandoned starving, but likely was abused. Her right leg is healed, but she refuses to remove the little cloth that covers it. She will soon be sent to the care of a local orphanage, where she will continue her treatment for her physical and psychological needs.
There are so many children like Sonia, who are silently suffering throughout Madagascar. In an effort to give these children a chance to reach adulthood, ADRA provides food and training to several local dispensaries in Madagascar.
ADRA’s program has already changed and saved the lives of many children. Local government authorities were so impressed that recently they asked ADRA to expand the geographical area covered by its lifesaving program. It is a tremendous opportunity to reach out and rescue many more children like Sonia from the darkness of hunger and pain. ADRA needs resources to expand this program.
Through your generous gift today, children who face hunger will have an opportunity to live happy, fulfilling lives. Together we can partner to help give the children and the nation of Madagascar a future. Together we can continue changing the world, one life at a time.
