Posted on Mar 29th, 2009
by 
Joseph
Child Malnutrition
Christina
Child malnutrition is one of the major problems affecting African countries. In Uganda malnutrition is by far the biggest contributor to child mortality. About 25,000 young children die every day, mainly from preventable causes such as malnutrition and about half of child deaths occur in Africa alone.
Christina is one child among the many in Uganda who is a victim of the above and her death can be saved by effective measures such as micronutrient supplementation, vaccines, and antibiotics and improved family care practices.
When I was informed about Christina, I had to act immediately to visit her and what I saw is hard to explain but just a state of seeing someone dieing in a minute.
When I asked about the child, Christina’s grandmother told me that his son the father of the child is in prison and the mother of the child abandoned her. .
The grandmother got the child in a sorry state and decided to take her in her care. Unfortunately the care Christina is receiving seems to be just worsening her condition because in the morning she receives dry tea for breakfast, lunch is a piece of Cassava and some Matooke (local food which is like a banana) and for super the same applies or sometimes no super.
Joe and Christina
Christina is now 4 years though she looks a child of 4 months and she can’t talk neither does she walk. She only sits and when she is tired she then sleeps and that’s her daily routine.
The sad story is that people don’t give her love as they fear to hold her in their hands. When I was told about that, it hurt me and I asked myself why people should do something like that to an innocent child and during my visit, what I did was to show her my love and so I decided to lift her in my hands for some minutes
I told the grandmother that lets help each other to see that we help Christina because she has feelings like any of us and she was born like any other child in the world
I had a chance to visit Christina again and this time I took her some nutritional supplements and because I wanted to see whether she can recognize people, I decided to put on the same T-Shirt that I used the first time.
And guess what? This girl shouldn’t be going through all this because she understands and her brain works though she can’t talk.
When I gave her the things, she tried to receive them though her hands are weak and she couldn’t hold them. When I lifted her, she was laughing as seen in the pictures. She was happy to see me and when I laughed to her she was also continuing to laugh. The grandmother told me that she doesn’t laugh and she was surprised to see her smile.
I continued to ask the grandmother about this child and the worst she told me was that people told her that she shouldn’t bather with the child because she has to die any time and so it seemed like she had abandoned this child because of people’s words.
I felt so bad and when I left, I just had my tears come out because I asked myself that why this child should suffer when she has feelings like everyone. Every time I think about her, I see her smile and I feel really bad in my heart.
I have visited one of the biggest hospitals in our district and explained about the situation of the child and showed them some pictures and I have been told me that she needs to be examined by doctors and then they will advise on all that needs to be done. From the pictures, they told me that she is malnourished and at the same time she might be having some complications that need treatment.
Christina laughs with Joe
I can’t let her go through what she is going through now and I have decided to take a step forward and with your support we can have Christina’s life back. Imagine her beautiful smile being seen when she is fine. We can do this together NOW and not later.
If together we take a step for Christina, we have to help other children like her as well and also preventing others from getting to her state. Education needs to be provided to mothers and grandmothers about how they can make simple changes to living conditions such as improving hygiene in order to increase the health of their children.
Mothers and grandmothers who are educated will also have increased confidence in the ability to take care of their children, therefore providing a healthier relationship and environment for them.
Please contact me at joseph@kyazanga to have this initiative taken to another level and for sure we can make it together.
May God bless you.
Help
Sign In
QaR
March 2009 
Access: Public
