On the 5th Day of Christmas My Sponsor Gave to Me...

5 Supplemental Meals

A Christmas wish worth writing down.

I remember Christmas as a time of anticipation. After Thanksgiving, mom would go to work with a military efficiency that would make any drill sergeant proud. Soon our house would look like a Christmas grenade had been thrown through the living room window. Fragile porcelain reindeer perched on every surface, creating a minefield for young knees and elbows. Shutting a door would dislodge a plateau of holly or bring a clump of mistletoe down on your head. Passing airplanes could calibrate their instruments by the multi-colored glow of our front lawn. Clark Griswold had nothing on my mom.

The rest of us stalked warily through the house, knowing that a simple “can you help for a minute?” would translate to hours of grueling holiday labor. After the initial onslaught, mom would slow down enough for us to resurface. If she was disappointed that we didn’t share her zeal for decoration – she rarely let on. I would have been too busy to notice anyway. By then I was engaged in the serious endeavor of creating my Christmas wish list.

In few areas of my life did I display the attention to detail that I gave my yearly wish list. It all seemed so important. How was I supposed to pay attention in school when at home my one-armed Spiderman figure was facing down a gang of super-villains without the new Spidey-mobile? How could my army of battered stormtroopers be expected to mount a credible defense against the Rebel Alliance without an Imperial Walker or at least a couple of T-Wing fighters to ride in? Didn’t anybody realize that the fate of the entire universe could hinge upon a single item on that list!

I tried to be reasonable. After all, we were a middle class family. My parents could hardly be expected to take out a second mortgage or forego buying presents for my siblings in order to properly outfit my Batcave. In an attempt to placate Santa, I was forced to limit the list to only my absolute Needs. It was tough, but I soldiered on.

As the big day approached, I prepared to confront reality. It was rarely a match for my imagination. But no matter how many toys were left off my list, when the gifts had all been opened and the living room floor reduced to a paper-strewn battlefield – I always felt something very near contentment.

Looking back on those days, I can’t help being a little embarrassed. Like the majority of us, I went through life with no concept of the difference between a “need” and a “want”. I never had to struggle through the day with an empty stomach or fall asleep wondering where I would find my next meal. Food, shelter and clothing were provided for me with such little fanfare they barely warranted consideration.

I’ve done some growing up since then. I’ve witnessed the devastating effects of poverty and seen the face of true need. Accordingly, my values and priorities have matured. I’ve found that more pleasure can be derived from helping others than from helping myself. That’s what led me to Children International.

It’s comforting to know that once a child is sponsored through CI, they can receive supplemental meals from their community center up to three times a week. I love imagining the weight lifted off the shoulders of a mother or father when they realize their child doesn’t have to face malnourishment and starvation. Knowing that sponsorship keeps these kids from slipping through the cracks warms my heart in ways extravagant gifts never could. And then there are the other ways CI helps these kids – with things like clothing, healthcare and education that benefit them far beyond their next meal.

I still have a lot of growing up to do. It’s impossible to go from taking food and shelter for granted to understanding the plight of the impoverished overnight. But I can take comfort in the knowledge that the day my wants became about fulfilling others’ needs, I came a long way.

Here’s to hoping you get everything on your list this year.

Posted on behalf of Garrett Kenyon.

Building Health through Proper Nutrition

Posted on Behalf of Kathryn Osborn

While the classic picture of a bony, too-thin child or adult comes to mind when many think of malnutrition, the condition actually has three very different faces: those of the under-nourished, the over-nourished, and the micronutrient deficient.

Under-nutrition, affecting 25% of children world-wide under the age of 5, is related to under consumption of adequate calories. Conversely, over-nutrition is often related to over consumption of daily calories, which can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and some forms of cancer. Today, 155 million school age children around the world are severely overweight.

The third and final “face” of malnutrition is that of the micronutrient deficient – a condition related to inadequate intake (or absorption) of the right vitamins and minerals needed by the body’s organs to work properly. Such deficiencies are the cause of goiter, scurvy, and some forms of blindness.

Frequently, under-nutrition stems from a lack of money to purchase food of adequate quantity or quality, frequent illnesses (especially HIV and TB) and poor nutritional practices (menu planning).

Poor nutrition of any type is the catalyst for many different health problems. It reduces an individual’s ability to fight diseases and support proper organ function. Unfortunately, each of these also further reduces the ability to absorb essential nutrients – leading to poor nutritional status.

Children International focuses primarily on the issue of under-nutrition within our population. Our agencies address short- and long-term needs of families through 1) supplementary feeding of undernourished children, helping them to gain adequate weight and 2) nutrition education for parents of sponsored children, sharing local recipes which are low cost and highly nutritious.

Kathy Osborn is a Health Officer who works in nutrition and health programs for Children International. She holds a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from George Washington University, with a concentration in global health, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Marine Science from the University of Miami. Prior to joining Children International, Kathy worked in major sustainable livelihood, nutrition, health and education initiatives in Uganda and in Washington, D.C.

What a Wonderful World

Zompopos de Mayo

Every year during the months of May and June the zompopos return. Zompopos are gigantic ants. Each morning they exit the comfort of their subterranean homes as children in rural Guatemala race to capture them, treating this insect like candy being thrown from a parade float.Many people in rural Guatemala have affection for this annual culinary treat. The Zompopos are high in fat and protein. Stripped of their legs and wings they are fried and put on a tortilla. Aficionados swear by their rich nutty flavor. The annual harvest is not only delicious, but also very useful.The zompopos tend to attack the root systems of fruit trees and vegetables, which can compromise the valuable harvest. The collection of these bugs has proven to be more potent than any pesticide. Poor families who benefit from this free protein source also enjoy the supplementary income. One pound of these ants sells for about 40 Quetzal or $5usd.

In many places around the world insects provide an indispensable source of nourishment. Termites, grasshoppers, crickets, grubs, cicadas (to name a handful) are classified as micro livestock whose nutrient value keeps millions of our fellow human beings from becoming malnourished.

Here at Children International we like to celebrate the diversity of the world, believing that it is our differences that make the world such an interesting, dynamic and magical place.

As the locusts howl and crickets chirp think of the zompopos and smile.

Special thanks to Javier Cárcamo of our Guatemala office for his reporting assistance.

Creating Independence

Today, all across the United States, flags are flying, bands are playing and fireworks are noisily celebrating the day our country declared itself free and independent. Thanks to the sacrifices – sometimes even of their own blood – our forefathers made, we enjoy the freedom to live, work and worship according to our own consciences.

But millions around the world still live under the iron fist of a pervasive, cruel tyrant…known as poverty. Each day is another test of endurance…another struggle to just stay alive.

But thanks to the kindness and generosity of people like you – our Children International sponsors – progress is being made. Destinies are being changed and the victims of poverty are being shown a more hopeful future…one life at a time.

Sponsorship is far more than simply handing out material goods. An integral part of sponsorship is teaching children and families to become self-sufficient. Through basic benefits like health and dental care, educational assistance, nutritional support, vocational training and micro-enterprise loans to deserving children and their families, the Children International sponsorship program is bringing change to individual families and, in some cases, entire communities.

Watch the video below to see how the power of sponsorship helped one family get the upper hand in their own private battle against poverty.