Thanks to Iris Africa Malawi, we provided between 3,000 and 5,000 children, along with vulnerable families, with a total of 1.1 million meals in 2013. As this update from David Morrison, director of Iris Africa, shows, this food has greatly impacted those who received it:
Ethel’s mother, after suffering with sickness for several months succumbed to her illness. Abandonment births deep fear into a young life, more than most of us understand. Suffering is too shallow a term to describe what Ethel’s circumstances imposed on her. Vulnerable due to her loss, age, hunger, and poverty, her situation required an emergency response. Now a year later Ethel still bears the scars of her pain, but little by little it is fading, and she is becoming healthier, brighter and more secure.
Malawi has a lot of undernourished and malnourished children as a result of the chronic food insecurity, especially here in the southern district where the climate is very harsh with its intense heat and sporadic rains. With an estimated 45,000 orphaned and vulnerable children in this district alone, there is great need and much work to be done to champion the vast problems.
Raising healthy children and providing them with a good education are two of the primary goals of Iris Africa. The nutritious rice/soy meals serve to meet these objectives. The evidence is clear; the fortified rice/soy meals significantly contribute to the strengthening of malnourished and sick children. They also serve to help healthy children remain strong to fight off infections, and provide them with the energy needed to attend school and learn without being distracted by hunger.
By working together we can make a difference in Africa, leading people out of poverty and into a life of sustainability. Thank you so much for partnering with us.
Thank you to everyone who joined with us in reaching Malawi. As David noted, there is a great need and much more work to be done. Together we can reach more children like Ethel all over the world. Click here to join with us in our efforts.
