They call them
the hungry months. Food is in short supply. In June and July and even into
August, I see a steady rise in mothers bringing their malnourished children to
my centre. The children become lethargic and often lose interest in everything
... including food. The mothers exhaust themselves trying to feed these little
ones, and finally give in to them.
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| The little boy we nicknamed "Skeleton" - just after his arrival at the centre |
One little boy
arrived weighing 11 lb (5 kg) at 2 years old. He was so thin we named him
‘Skeleton’. His eyes were sunken into his face and three little lines appeared each
side of his mouth, so it looked like he was wearing a mask. He would only eat
meat – and, each day when he arrived, would let out a huge roar until he got
it.
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| "Skeleton" refusing to eat. |
He didn’t like milk and he certainly didn’t like the porridge we gave him,
but we insisted until he ate it. The porridge is an essential part of all the
children’s diet. It’s made from ground corn (maize), peanuts, soya milk (which
we make ourselves), sugar, milk-powder and vegetable oil. The volunteers
persevered and after two weeks the mask disappeared and he was suddenly
transformed into a normal looking little boy. He’s not out of the woods yet –
but he’s made a good start.
Little ‘Skeleton’
is one of 22 children receiving treatment this month. Next month the number
could exceed 50 children – some of them so severely malnourished that they will
need hospital treatment. We’ve treated 380 children in the past 12 months
alone. This year only 2 children have died from complications, after waiting
too long before seeking help. The seriousness of the condition of all the
children is a constant worry to us.
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| Getting back on the "Road to Good Health"! This is "Skeleton" after a few weeks' treatment at our centre. |
With the coming
of summer, it would be easy to forget these unfortunate children who are
struggling to get back onto the road to good health, especially during these
‘hungry months’. I depend on your donations to run my centre. Please send a
donation now and perhaps before you go on your summer holiday.
The hungry months
end in August when the edible caterpillars appear on Basankusu’s trees.
Unfortunately, malnutrition never leaves us completely.
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