According to the UN, children's malnutrition rate in Venezuela has reached a staggering 26%. Since 2019, Healing Venezuela has been providing two cooked meals and a snack to 100 children at risk of malnutrition in Guaraunos, a remote village in Venezuela. Thanks to our support and the involvement of the entire community, malnutrition rate in the village is 4%. Children's health has improved, encouraging school attendance, and parents and children can look forward to a better future.
Venezuela is in crisis. The economy has collapsed, and hyperinflation remains one of the highest in the world. As food is unaffordable for most Venezuelans -more than 90% live below the poverty line- malnutrition is rampant. The UN's World Food Programme estimates that over 26% of the country's children are malnourished. Guaraunos is a remote village in Venezuela with little or no access to food, healthcare or education. Neglected and desperate, they approached Healing Venezuela for help.
Since 2019 Healing Venezuela's volunteers have been cooking 2 meals and a snack, Monday to Friday, to feed an average of 100 children a day in the school and the village hall. The ovens they use were donated by Healing Venezuela but were built by volunteers in the village. We monitor their health every three months to make sure no one is falling behind. These assessments show that children's health has improved. The village malnutrition rate is 4% compared to an average of 26% for the country.
This project is a success thanks to the collective involvement of the people of Guaraunos. As parents see the improvement in their childrens health, they are now helping others. Neighbouring villages have been asking for support from our volunteers to run similar programmes. This has given them confidence and hope for a better future. Our goal at Healing Venezuela is to continue supporting the people of Guaraunos to become self-reliant and take the same model to other villages in Venezuela.
