“I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” — Acts 20:35
You may have heard about the night we were conducting a huge Gospel Tent crusade with thousands in attendance. We had preached a message and were finishing up, when a small frail woman held her baby high above her head and shouted in Creole, “If God is so good, why is my baby so hungry?” That night changed our ministry, and we knew we had to feed the poor. While we have been conducting food distributions for years, there is still a great need. In spite of our efforts to feed the poor, we still see starving babies and children. It is heart-wrenching to see mothers, babies, and families with no food or very little food. Many children suffer from malnutrition, and as a result, their hair turns red and brittle. Their little bodies either become bloated or emaciated and they often die before the age of five. Many mothers have no food for their babies and pregnant women are also at risk.
Bobby and I look around us every day here in Haiti and see so many people, especially the children, suffering from hunger and malnutrition. We are always talking about it and making plans to help more. We are the hands and arms of God outstretched to the poor here in Haiti.
When we see the poor, or hear a heart-touching story, we do not want to pass by “on the other side” like the priest did in the Bible story (Luke 10:31). Jesus told this story to a lawyer who asked, “Who is our neighbor?” (Luke 10:29) – Elijah was left half dead under the bushes at our front gate in Haiti about a year ago. Elijah is “our neighbor” as are all the Haitian people.
In Haiti, malnutrition is a major threat to childhood development. Too many Haitian children suffer from chronic malnutrition, and up to half of the deaths of children in this country are due to malnutrition.
Haiti in general and the mountain villages in particular have long suffered from chronic hunger and starvation.
There are many causes that contribute to wide-spread malnutrition here in Haiti. Some we see every day like the lack of safe drinking water and a terrible sanitation problem.
The children have several untreated infections. The overall health of the whole family is very poor, so the lack of nutritious food is the most obvious cause of malnutrition.
Malnutrition in Haiti is a complex problem that continues because of the cycle of poverty and other things we cannot control. There are two types of malnutrition that we see here: Kwashiorkor—in which you see swollen bellies and at its worst their limbs and faces also become bloated because they are retaining fluid, and Marasmus—where they are so emaciated that their poor little bodies are nothing but skin and bones. Both types are common among poor families here.
Kwashiorkor Malnutrition
Kwashiorkor is the most severe form of malnutrition because there is no protein in their diet and recovery is very difficult.
Children suffering from kwashiorkor can’t recover fluids and their immune system fails. The poor little children with bloated bellies are horribly malnourished. This form of malnutrition is seen mostly in children that are 18 months and older.
Marasmus Malnutrition
Marasmus is also severe malnutrition that can be seen especially in babies under the age of one with tiny bodies that look like skeletons.
A child with marasmus has a better chance of survival than a child with kwashiorkor. Both of these forms of malnutrition are dangerous and need quick treatment.
Our feeding programs that we offer in our Love A Child schools and churches helps to ease hunger by giving a child one hot meal a day that is full of vitamins and essential nutrients.
One of our most important projects to address the cycle of malnutrition is our new Malnutrition Center that we just completed next to our Jesus Healing Center. Though we can reach out through Mobile Medical Clinics when we travel into the mountains of Haiti, to the “regions beyond,” the need is much greater for a Malnutrition Center to serve the poor of a larger area.
Children suffering from malnutrition are referred to our Malnutrition Center, which provides specialized food and care to save their lives. We also send them home with food for their families. Please continue to pray for the struggling children and their parents here in Haiti.
This Malnutrition Center has been in a tent since the earthquake in 2010. The floor was falling in and it was over-crowded. The old tent clinic was torn down, and is being replaced by this brand new building.
Mark and Jesse Ostrander worked alongside our great Haitian construction crew building our new Malnutrition Center!
Love is something you do! We want to give special thanks to our friend Dor’e Aslandes for sponsoring this clinic. The lives of many children will be saved! For the children who suffer from hunger and malnutrition, they will now have a chance for survival as the Malnutrition Center will provide the needed care and additional food that will help them get a better start in life.
Here are our latest pictures of our new Malnutrition Center at the recent dedication. Barbara MacMannis is the Director of the Jesus Healing Center and the Malnutrition Center. She is doing a great job!
In our new Malnutrition Center we will be educating pregnant mothers on the importance of having healthy babies. We offer classes on prenatal care, early child care, and encourage breast-feeding, which is the best solution for the immune system of a new baby. So many little lives will be saved and so much will be going on in the center to save even more lives.
During the eighth month of pregnancy, the new mommy receives a birthing kit. These kits are very helpful during delivery and right after the birth. We use about 40 birthing kits a month, and we are often in short supply. Our Medical Administrator, Barbara MacMannis, needs help keeping these kits stocked at the Malnutrition Center. This would be a wonderful project for your church group. Please consider gathering these items listed below, and then send them on to our Florida headquarters.
Birthing Kits:
(Please send items inside a pillowcase.)
- One newborn outfit (a “onesie” and stocking hat)
- Feminine pads and two receiving blankets
- Small plastic basin and a bar of soap
- Single-edged razor blade
- Two 10” long pieces 1/16” cotton cord
- Disposable newborn diapers and one cloth diaper
- Absorbent under pads
If you are able to help provide these birthing kits, please send them to the following address:
Love A Child, Inc.
Attn: Barbara MacMannis
12411 Commerce Lakes Drive
Fort Myers, Florida 33913-8664
We offer early childhood vaccinations, monitor the height and weight of each child, and we give mothers food to take back to feed their families.
You can help save little lives in Haiti…
We have a great program for you to get involved with here at Love A Child. We need partners to help sponsor treatment for a child at our Malnutrition Center.
Helping is easy, here is how it works:
- $20 sponsors a child to visit the Malnutrition Center for one month
- $40 sponsors a child to visit the Malnutrition Center for two months
- $120 sponsors a child to visit the Malnutrition Center for six months
Please prayerfully consider becoming a partner. Your support will save a life.
The Malnutrition Center staff supplies moms with nourishing formula for their malnourished baby or toddler and enough food for the rest of the family each week. When we are able to get families nourished and healthy, they are able to look for work and begin to help themselves. Each parent receives great medical care and LOTS of nourishing food for their babies.
Please prayerfully consider becoming a partner. Call our office at 239-210-6107 to find out how you can help. Love is something you do!
We have learned that sharing food is a great way to share God’s message.
God bless you all!
Sherry