In the past five years the Sisters of the Daughters of St.Anne Institute (DSA) saved 1900 children from severe malnutrition. DSA decided to concentrate their efforts in Abo,Zagher,Akrur,Tokonda. 523 children are affected and for up to nine months they will be given milk, oil and DMK, a food supplement. The Sisters will give to their families some sheep, on completion of the treatment, when they will be released after having reached 86.5% of the standard index of malnutrition, to get daily milk.
Children are those mostly affected by famine because they need a balanced diet.Malnutrition provokes diseases by lowering the immune system and it puts life itself into risk.The enormous costs of malnutrition fall upon the poorest families,especially women and children,since men are often absent for military service.The situation continues to worsen, with both adverse climate and poor social and political conditions.Survival is dependent on remittances from relatives abroad and on rainfall.
Children are followed by running a weekly monitoring for a period of one month. In case of diseases, the child is hospitalized.When he overcomes diseases, he gets a check-up every two weeks.When he reaches 80.1% of the standard index (moderate malnutrition) he is subject to a monthly check-up.After the check-up, he is given the monthly ration of DMK, oil and milk.When he reaches 86,5% of the standard value, he is discharged and the neediest families get a sheep to ensure milk and avoid relapses.
The program will reduce malnutrition at a level which, according to the Sisters, protects children from relapses. The final beneficiaries are 2500, the members of the children families. The program is all year round: when a child reaches the safe level, which usually happens before nine months, is discharged, but a new one takes over, from the long waiting list of suffering children. The given sheep will help families to grow a flock to improve their financial situation and self-sustainability.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
