At the age of 22 months, Halimu fell ill. She could not move or eat and had a high fever. Her mother, Abshiru, did not know what was wrong or what to do. The small village in Ethiopia where she lives has limited resources, and her husband is disabled and unable to work. Abshiru had almost no hope for her daughter’s survival.
ADRA’s supplemental feeding and training program provides food for children like Halimu, who suffer from malnutrition.
Abshiru took Halimu to a nurse at a local health center, who immediately advised the mother to bring the baby to ADRA’s health center. As soon as Abshiru arrived at the ADRA center, a nurse measured Halimu’s arm, diagnosed her with severe malnutrition, and started treating her with medicine.
The nurse gave Halimu a small amount of Plumpy’Nut, a peanut-based food that reverses malnutrition. The baby swallowed it—the first mouthful of food that she had eaten in a long time.
It took many weeks of screenings, checkups, and nutritional support before Halimu was well again. But now Halimu is able to walk and play with other children, and Abshiru cannot stop smiling.
Every day, children like Halimu are at risk of dying from malnutrition. ADRA’s supplementary feeding programs have saved more than 10,000 children like Halimu by placing them on eight-week rehabilitation courses to reverse their malnutrition. Thanks to donations from around the world, ADRA has trained hundreds of health workers and community volunteers to identify children and mothers suffering from malnutrition, thereby saving countless lives.
