Feed hungry children in Kenya

     Feeding children in rural Kenya who are hungry and malnourished is the major focus of this project, but the prevention of child malnutrition is also emphasized. A malnourished child cannot develop to his or her full potential and is prone to infections that can be fatal. Child feeding practices, such as the duration of exclusive breastfeeding, the types and amounts of weaning foods to give young children, and the preparation and safe storage of the food, are important issues for malnutrition prevention that can be addressed through education of mothers. But the remoteness of the Kenyan villages and extreme poverty limit access for the mothers to nutrition counseling. This is where the volunteer work of the village community health workers (CHWs) comes in. Global Health Partnerships and Kenyan health professionals trained CHWs like Alice (in photo) to provide nutrition and hygiene counseling that starts during a mother’s pregnancy and continues in monthly sessions until the child reached two years of age. The CHWs help the mothers choose a variety of local foods that optimize the nutrition of their children. They advise mothers about good hygiene practices and water treatment to avoid the frequent episodes of diarrhea that contribute to malnutrition. Since the program started in late 2011 over 300 mothers and their children have benefited from the nutrition and hygiene counseling.
     Thank you for the support that you have given to this project. The generous contributions from donors like you provide the vital resources to feed the children who suffer from malnutrition, and also to prevent this widespread problem from affecting many vulnerable children. Over 95% of the donations that are received by Global Health Partnerships go directly into program services!