Rescue a Malnourished Child in Guatemala

In Guatemala the malnutrition rate of children under 5 is 49.8%. However, chronic malnutrition is not exclusive to children under the age of 5. In February 2020 Casa Jackson opened its doors to a new patient who was unlike any patient we had had before. This is Sandra’s story and we feel it is important to share it with you to show how you can help Casa Jackson change the lives of malnourished children.

Sandra was referred to us by the PGN (Guatemalan Social Services). She is 18 years old, though due to years of chronic malnutrition she has the frame of a much younger child. Sandra’s father passed away when she was younger and her mother suffered from alcoholism and was unable to look after her, and so a month before she arrived at Casa Jackson, she was given to a family that the mother knew to be looked after. This is not what transpired, however. The family that Sandra stayed with consisted of a mother, father and three children. Sandra was not treated like another member of the family, though. During meal times Sandra was told to leave the room and the family did not share any food with her. Sandra told us that she was not given any food for a month and that every time she asked to be given some she was beaten. She was also beaten at other times for no reason. Sandra was also not permitted to leave the house and therefore had no means to access food herself. She told us that she survived on water alone.

When Sandra arrived at Casa Jackson we had to adjust to be able to care for her. The first thing we needed to do was find a bed for her to sleep in as we didn’t feel that it was dignified to ask her to sleep in a crib like the other children. We reached out to another non-profit called El Amor de Patricia that runs a Bunk Bed Project to ask if they would donate a bed for Sandra to sleep in while staying at Casa Jackson. They were more than happy to oblige and delivered it the next day. This was an important part of showing Sandra that we valued her as a person by making sure she would be comfortable.

Sandra has spent the past month with us in Casa Jackson and in that time has gained an incredible 8 lbs. and 4 oz. She has been on a special diet to help build her strength and it has been working extremely well. Sandra told us that when she was staying with the previous family she would dream about eating frijoles and chicken and so we make efforts to incorporate that in her diet.

Another important part of Sandra’s recuperation is to build her self-esteem and show her that she is valued as a person, as this was something she did not experience before coming to us. Sandra never went to school when she was younger and is unable to read or write. We organised adult learning classes three times a week to help Sandra to learn important life skills such as reading and writing. Unfortunately, due to government regulations all schools are currently closed in Guatemala, however we are helping Sandra to keep learning through workbooks until the schools open again. Sandra has told us that even after she leaves Casa Jackson she would like to continue to study so that one day she can become a teacher. We will ensure that we do everything we can to turn this dream into a reality. Furthermore we have been teaching Sandra important skills that she can use in the future. Sandra worked with some volunteers to learn how to sew. She is using her newfound sewing skills to make a bag. Finally we think it is important for Sandra’s self-esteem that she helps out the other children in Casa Jackson and so she often looks after and plays with the children during the day, as well as helping to feed them. This gives her a sense of belonging and responsibility that is helping to raise her confidence and self-worth, a crucial part of her recuperation.

We feel that Sandra has made amazing progress in her first month at Casa Jackson and that is because we receive donations to be able to feed, clothe, house and educate her. When we say that your donations save lives this is not hyperbole. We couldn’t make an impact in children’s and, in this case, adult’s lives without your support. You make it possible for us to save Sandra’s life.

Please continue to keep the children in your prayers and consider sponsoring a crib at our Casa Jackson Malnutrition Hospital.

Links:

• Learn about what we do & how you can help on our website.