The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will have lasting effects on people and their nutrition, healthcare, economies and food systems in all corners of the world. Likewise, many of our interventions including the Macheo Malnourished Program have been disrupted or suspended. One of the intervention that has been fully affected is the malnourished child intervention. The government banned social gathering and restricting social distancing forced us to close our outreach center.
Ester was a malnourished child identified in our outreach center in Kiandutu. She was malnourished and had contracted bronchitis when she was admitted in our program in January. She was also diagnosed with some serious motor development deficiencies. At our center, our staff immediately took her to hospital for diagnosis and she was given drugs. She was also put on our dietary treatment that she needed. During her stay, she had started to make steady gains in both her overall health and motor development. When the government banned social gathering, we were forced to tell the parents to stop bringing their children. We were had to come up with ways of supporting the parents at home so that they could continue giving care to their children.
Our intervention initially started with a food supply to the clients, as seen in the photo, but as the government become stricter, we focused on cash transfer. This is to help the clients buy food or any necessity that the vulnerable families require.
Our response
We have already taken the following actions to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
Introduction
Malnutrition contributes to a high rate of childhood morbidity and mortality. Children who are highly at risk from this menace are those who are affected by poverty. With almost half of the population of Kenya living in poverty, malnutrition is one of the leading causes of death in children. The high prices of food, heavy rainfall that has destroyed crops and poor feeding practices have contribute to malnutrition.
Overview
Macheo has continued to focus on the first one thousand days of a child's life because it’s a unique period where foundations of optimum health, growth, and neurodevelopment across the lifespan are established. Malnutrition weakens this foundation leading to severe health complication, mortality and loss of neurodevelopment potential. It’s a window of opportunity that Macheo mainly focuses on by providing proper nutritional services and medication. We have also trained our clients on nutrition and assisted them to set up a kitchen garden.
Activities
Success Story
His mother Tabitha, worked as a manual labourer and had to take on the earning responsibility in the household since her husband was a drunkard and did not care about them. For Tabitha’s family every day was a struggle with work in short supply, caused a significant impact on her ability to maintain food supplies. “I simply could not afford to provide basic needs especially the nutritious food my young children needed for good health. Instead, my eight children struggled to survive on a diet of little more than cereal porridges, millet, maize or rice, a diet that lacked many essential nutrients,” says Tabitha.
When Macheo's social worker identified Josh, he was thin, wasted, with pale eyes and palms. This was a troubling symptom of what would become a much more complex condition; malnutrition. Josh’s weight was also fluctuating, he got sick so often because his body did not have the same ability to fight off infection as a well-nourished child’s body would. What’s more, as is common with children dealing with malnutrition, Josh had little appetite. In addition, he couldn’t eat well because of the cleft lip and palate which only aggravated his condition and the complications he was experiencing. Through Macheo, Josh was enrolled in the nutrition program which provided him the medication and dietary treatment he needed including an intensive follow-up to help regain developmental milestones. With the help of Macheo, Tabitha is also learning how to provide her children with a more balanced and complete diet, even with minimal money she earns. After that, Macheo took another step ahead to help repair the cleft lip and palate. Josh would require two surgeries; lip adhesion operation to close the clefts in Josh’s lip and a final surgery to bring everything beautifully together.
Despite the priceless happiness from Josh’s mother when she was told that her child had successfully begun his health care journey, there were things she had to do differently. She tried very hard to treat Josh as though there was nothing different about him. “Josh is growing up to be well adjusted. ’Fearless’ is one word we always use to describe him these days since he received the support from Macheo. He is willing to do anything and has the spunk to try to do it,” says Tabitha. “At first I was devastated and scared. I was concerned about what Josh would look like for the rest of his life. I wanted to make sure that his face would appear symmetrical but I didn’t earn enough to make this happen. For the cleft lip repair, it took one week for him to recover, and we had to get used to not seeing a hole in Josh’s lip. My hope is that he recovered from the cleft palate repair in two days, then he was back eating regular baby food,” she adds.
Tabitha was moved by the compassion and generosity of everyone who has played a role in Josh’s care. She remains grateful to Macheo who helped Josh turn into a happy, confident and charming boy he is growing up to be. He is now healthy, part of a family that absolutely adores him, and has a future that has been re-written and is filled with hope. Macheo feels compelled to make sure that Josh undergoes a second surgery which according to the doctors is a costly procedure that the family can not afford to raise. Tabitha looks forward that her son Josh has a future that is filled with hope towards fully recovery of Josh’s condition. Macheo is currently facilitating enrollment of Josh into the National Hospital Insurance Fund, a scheme that would offer him free treatment for the second surgery.
Appreciation
On behalf of the children and their families, Macheo is extremely grateful for your enormous support received from GlobalGiving all through the year 2019. We celebrate the success of the work we have done together and most importantly your aspirations towards making the world a better place for the children.
We have been able to provide nourishment and life giving help to children, because you contributed directly to their success! Thank you so much for considering Macheo US in your giving.
From the Field, by Seth Mwangi
The problem of malnutrition in the Kiandutu slums has a lot to do with the fact that the area is so remote and is a shanty town. This combined with poverty, lack of education and an lack of availability of food, contributes to a range of challenges for families and children specifically.
Meet Stephan (not his real name) was a very sharp and active baby boy living with his single mother and three other siblings in the Kiandutu slums. At one year and four months old, Stephan was acutely malnourished, his mother Anita was worried about how low his weight was and had noticed that he lacked the energy to stand on his legs. Stephan’s weight was fluctuating, his arms too thin andhe was simply too small. He fell sick so often because his body did not have the same ability to fight off infection as a well-nourished child’s body would. What’s more, as is common with children dealing with malnutrition, he had little appetite, which only aggravated his condition and the complications he was experiencing. Generally, children gain weight as they grow, but by that age, Stephan was experiencing a troubling symptom of what would become a much more complex condition; malnutrition.
When Macheo identified Stephan, his family was going through a lot. Anita carried her poverty into adulthood, doing odd jobs with periods of homelessness and hunger. But more disturbing was that poverty had started to take its toll on her children. Anita lived with worries about how she had to take on the responsibility in the household as the odd jobs earned very little to support the family.
Through Macheo, Stephan was enrolled in our Malnourished Children’s Program that provide children with the necessary nutrition to overcome and prevent health conditions or malnutrition that would otherwise hold them back. Stephan received therapeutic nutritional care he needed, along with monthly food supplement and intensive follow-up to help reinforce a diet that includes nutritionally dense foods supplies. The Macheo service provider immediately gave him the medication and dietary treatment as well as around-the-clock care and the nutrition he needed to grow healthier. After three months in the program, Stephan gradually recorded an improvement in his weight and was able to walk on his own and play around with other children.
Anita celebrated the outcome, saying: “I am proud to see that my son is back on track for normal development and good health.” She also gained a lot through trainings on how to keep Stephan healthy by practicing proper nutrition, breastfeeding, parenting and entrepreneurial skills that she learned from our workshops. Anita also started a small business that has been able to support her family. Stephan one of the dozens children who are now enjoying healthy childhoods thanks to the care and support provided by Macheo Children’s Home.
It is all because of you, and without your support, Stephan would still be struggling.
Thank You!
At ten months old, Jacinta (not Her real name) was severely malnourished and had missed many of Her developmental milestones. Jecinta’ mother, Stacy, who depends on odd jobs, lives alone with her two children in the Kiandutu slums, a small informal settlement in the outskirt of Thika. She used to wash clothes for people to earn a living, but income from the laundry business was not enough to make ends meet. Stacy hoped that her children could afford a better life but her dream seemed to shut as each day could bring a long more challenges.
When Jecinta was identified, he weighed 6.5 kilograms and had not received deworming thus was losing weight. Macheo social worker noticed that he was very weak, low on Her weight and had lacked the energy since he was fed on starch only. Through Macheo, Jecinta was enrolled in the malnourishment program, which provides a nutritional supplement and intensive follow-up to help reinforce a diet that includes nutritionally dense foods. Jecinta was prescribed vitamin A and iron supplements to boost Her immune system, and a deworming medication to rid him of any parasites that might be contributing to Her malnutrition. The Macheo service provider gave Jecinta all around-the-clock care and the nutrition he needed to grow healthier. During Her stay in the program, Jecinta made steady gains in both overall health and milestone development. After three months in tHer care and support, Justine made a tremendous progress by attaining 7.6 kilograms. He eventually became an active, mobile and smiling baby boy. Through the program, Jecinta’ mother was also educated about proper nutrition and feeding practices for children, as well as warning signs of malnutrition from trainings offered by Macheo. Stacy also was trained on proper parenting, hygiene and cleanliness.
Jecinta is one of the dozens children who are now enjoying healthy childhoods, thanks to the lifesaving care provided by Macheo children’s organization. However, Macheo social worker has been making follow ups to ensure that Jecinta’ mother is in a capacity to provide a safe, loving and compassionate environment where Jecinta will continue to thrive and enjoy a happy childhood even after exiting from the program. Macheo is dedicated to helping children reach their highest health potential and experience life in a positive way. After making tremendous strides in offering care and support to malnourished children and providing counseling to caregivers about optimal feeding practices, the Macheo service providers feel more confident in their services.
From the field….A child’s success story, because of your support!
At seven months old, many babies start to sit up, hold on to things with their hands and usually are able to roll over. The story of baby Nyokabi was different. She couldn’t do anything, as she was too weak.
Nyokabi’s Mum, Nyambura, recalls how her baby got sick for the first time. “she was only three weeks old when she was admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties. She was diagnosed with pneumonia and given medicines to cure her. Since then she has had different health challenges. Due to the health challenges, Nyokabi could not feed well.
By the time Nyokabi was referred to Macheo by the social worker, she only weighed 11 pounds at seven months. She had developed frequent diarrhoea and was vomiting. She had grown so weak and couldn’t turn her eyes. She was taken to hospital by the health service provider and was diagnosed with malnutrition and blocked intestines. She was given medicine and joined our malnourished children intervention, where she is receiving nutritious food to help her gain weight.
Currently, Nyokabi is fourteen months-old and at a healthy weight. She has a good appetite, and is very active. Her favourite pastime at the center is to play with the toy dolls. Nyokabi’s mother has participated in our nutrition seminars provided at the Kiandutu outreach center, learning about healthy food options. Their family still receives regular visits by our nutritionists. Nyokabi’s growth will continue to be monitored until she turns two, at which point she will graduate from the nutrition program.
The first one thousand days is a very important stage for fighting chronic malnutrition. During this window much of a child’s development occurs (the development of the brain and major organ systems). Subsequently this window of development is closed, and not much can be done to reverse the results to growth and development that has occurred. Children at this stage who are chronically malnourished hit developmental milestones far behind their non-stunted peers, score lower on verbal reasoning and are more prone to infectious disease. This window during infancy, this infamous “thousand days”, is very small. So small and so fragile, in fact, that many members of the global health community consider it the do or break period for a child.
Because of your continued support, children like Nyokabi are spared these serious stunted developmental results. MacheoUS is very grateful for your kind consideration to our cause.
With regards,
Team Macheo US
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