Malnutrition In Haiti

Living in Libertyville, it is easy to forget that not everyone eats three filling meals a day, holds a well-paying job, and has access to clean water. However, for many people in other parts of the world, this is not their reality. Places like the United States, where a majority of society lives well above the poverty level, are not doing enough to help those in need, specifically people suffering from malnutrition. To put this into perspective, 59 billion dollars a year is spent globally on ice cream, compared to the 28 billion dollars it would take to provide global health care and other necessities for all (Singer, “Ten Reasons” ). Billions of dollars are spent on a sugary treat, when they could be spent on a greater cause, such as feeding

To be exact, “one-hundred thousand children under five years of age suffer from acute malnutrition, while one in three children is stunted, or irreversibly short for their age,” which is approximately 42% of the child population (“10 Facts”). Malnutrition and poverty seem to happen in a continuous circle. Since adults living in Haiti do not have opportunities for high paying jobs, they can’t supply their children with the amount of food and sanitary water they need. Therefore, children get very sick and suffer from severe malnutrition. Due to the fact that parents cannot provide for their children, and the children are too sick or do not have the money to go to school, it is hard for their health to improve. Furthermore, “less than 50 percent of households have access to safe water and only 25 percent benefit from adequate sanitation” (“10 Facts”). Similar to the aforementioned statistic of children living with malnutrition, it is astounding that less than half the population has access to clean water. When people are not able to drink sanitary water, it has an immediate negative effect on the body. They do not receive enough supplements or minerals that are found in clean water, making them more inclined to get sick. Considering everyone, not just children, has limited access to clean water or a generous food supply, the range of people affected is only

Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), a non-profit company whose goal is to make sure everyone has enough food, has various locations where volunteers help pack sufficient meals that are later sent to those suffering from malnutrition (“Our Mission”). On their website, they share stories of success about the people they help. One of the stories is about a boy named Nelson. His mom did not have the money or resources for him to live a comfortable life. Every day he would sit outside with the pigs, and he contracted rickets, a disease caused by an inadequate amount of vitamins. Rickets causes bones to weaken, which is especially dangerous for children who are trying to develop healthy bones. Nelson started receiving MannaPack Rice, the meal that Feed My Starving Children volunteers prepare, which includes rice, soy, dried vegetables and a nutritionally complete blend of vitamins and minerals (“Volunteer Info”). Because this became his diet, he was slowly able to make progress until he was healthy (Eischens). Although volunteering barely takes up half a day at places such as FMSC, it leaves a lasting impact. Each pack is disseminated within communities full of people suffering from malnutrition. People that receive MannaPack Rice, especially children, are able to get back on track to becoming healthy