Today I came across the Humanitarian Action Plan 2012 for the Democratic Republic of Congo - which has not yet been translated from French to English. It was developed through a participatory discussion between hundreds of humanitarian organizations and provincial and national authorities.
I read that there are populations in the DR Congo that are so remote, they cannot be reached with assistance; that out of 1,000 children, 158 in the DR Congo will not make it to their fifth birthday; and that the average life expectancy for women in the DR Congo is 47 and 51 for men. In 2011, 171,770 children presented at health clinics with malnutrition, 110,607 of them suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
The report acknowledges the incredible strength and resilience of the Congolese people. The authors also acknowledge the role that the humanitarian community; who, working in perilous conditions, have worked tirelessly on behalf of this poor, struggling country.
I would like to acknowledge you today for supporting the DR Congo through our project, "Provide Plumpy'nut for the children in the DR Congo." You helped us send 483,598 sachets of Plumpy'nut to the DR Congo through our humanitarian distribution partner, each nutrient-rich packet containing 500 calories of hope for the children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
"Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something," said an unknown author. We wholeheartedly agree, and thank you for doing something - a very meaningful and important something - for the children of the DR Congo.
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This morning I read a new blog written by Dr. Chris Bird of Doctors without Borders, which I thought might be of interest to you as well. Dr. Bird is currently working in the DR Congo, and as you will read, before becoming a doctor, Dr. Bird was a journalist - making this a very compelling read. The link to his blog is below.
Doctors without Borders incorporates ready-to-use therapeutic foods, such as Plumpy'nut, into their therapeutic feeding programs to save the lives of children who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, a very dangerous condition. In the DR Congo, Edesia has partnered with the humanitarian aid agency, Action Against Hunger, to deliver livesaving Plumpy'nut to thousands of vulnerable children.
Nourished children dramatically strengthen families, communities, and entire countries - which is why your continued support of this project to get Plumpy'nut into the hands of more children in the DR Congo gives us so much hope.
Thank you.
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Today I walked through the Rhode Island warehouse from which the trucks pick up our shipments of Plumpy'nut. Here are some photos of the shipment going to the DR Congo through our NGO partner on the ground - our third delivery to them since 2010. Not just any shipment, but one that is on its way to give thousands more children - the innocent bystanders of conflict and poverty - a second chance at life.
Your donations to Edesia make it possible for us to send more Plumpy'nut and reach more children. We want to thank you again for helping us to nourish the children of the DR Congo.
As the global community takes in the devastation in the Horn of Africa we are reminded once more of the fragility of these young lives. By providing the most vulnerable children with the targeted nutrition they need we can reverse the worst cases.Edesia is proud to be a part of the healthy futures of these children. But we cannot accomplish this without your support.
You- as a member of the Global Giving community - have allowed us to continue to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable children around the world.
Thank you.
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Thank you for your generous support. Your donation allows us to make life-saving Plumpy'nut and send it to the children who need it most.
Check out the photos to meet some of the members of our team as they take peanuts and transform them into Plumpy'nut.
To learn more about our work check us out on Facebook and Twitter as well.
Thank you.
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