Children living in rural Southwestern Uganda are falling behind before they even have a chance to start life. They are not getting the full range of nutrients they need to grow up healthy and strong. Edesia is partnering with the Millennium Village Project to provide Ekitobeero, a fortified, peanut paste to enrich the diets of 300 children between the ages of 6 and 24 months. Help fund this vital project, so that more Ugandan children can reach their full potential.
Due to high rates of poverty, most families living in eight Ruhiira villages of Southwestern Uganda cannot afford diverse diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and meat. This had led to widespread nutritional deficiencies. Up to half of the children under the age of five are "stunted" and may never achieve their full potential, physically or mentally.
Edesia, a nonprofit in Providence, RI, makes fortified, peanut pastes that bring health and hope to malnourished children. We partnered with the Millennium Villages Project to make Ekitobeero, a specially formulated lipid-based nutritional supplement for children between the ages of 6 and 24 months. Millenium Village Project staff are helping children from the Ruhiira villages get the full range of nutrients they need by introducing Ekitobeero into their everyday diets.
Ekitobeero can help prevent stunting in children under the age of two, while providing lifelong benefits. With strengthened immune systems, these children can overcome common illnesses such as diarrhea, pneumonia, or malaria. With fully developed brains and bodies, they will be more successful in school, and see a profound improvement in their lifelong productivity. Transforming communities and our world starts by nourishing a child in the first thousand days of life.
