Rescue a Malnourished Child in Guatemala

April has been with us in Casa Jackson for almost 4 months now with her mother, Natalie. She arrived in March 2022 moderately malnourished and in need of our support.

April lives in San Felipe de Jesús, not far from Casa Jackson, with her mother, uncle, aunt and grandparents. Their house is made of cement blocks and sheet metal with a sheet metal roof. It consists of a bedroom and a kitchen and the family has two beds between them, meaning that Avril shares with her mother and aunt. The family has a small tabletop stove but often has to use firewood to cook when they run out of gas.

The first month at Casa Jackson was very difficult for April as she adjusted to a healthy and nutritional diet. In fact, it took almost the whole month for April to gain any weight at all as her body became accustomed to healthier food. Once she had adjusted, however, April started to gain weight a lot faster and has now gained 2 lbs. 14 oz. which is a further 17% of her initial weight. She is now at a normal weight for her age and size and is almost ready to go home.

We have been so happy to see the progress that April has made at Casa Jackson, not only in her weight gain but also developmentally. April is starting to talk and is learning how to play and interact with other children. April is also very caring and empathetic, and often comforts other children with a hug when they are crying.

One of the reasons that April is still staying at Casa Jackson for a bit longer is because of her mother. April’s mother was actually known to the Project before April arrived at Casa Jackson, as she was previously one of our students in our Scheel Center (now Vista Hermosa Center) School. April’s father is not a part of her life and does not support her in any way and her mother does not currently work or study and so April’s grandfather was the one who supported the family. April’s mother wants to change this, however, and is looking to leave the house she is living in and to find herself a job to support April and herself. We are looking into the possibility of offering Natalie a job at Casa Jackson, where she feels comfortable and happy, so that we can continue to support her and April moving forward.

The GOD’S CHILD Project has been working for 30 years to break the chains of poverty through education, housing, nutrition and healthcare. Please click the link below to donate to support us in our ongoing mission.