Generational Malnutrition

Healthcare Can Include Food Assistance

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Malnourishment is an ever-present and seemingly intractable problem in the slums of Jaipur and a problem with far-reaching consequences. Save Kids Trust (SKT) met Garima when she was a 22-year-old mother of 4-year-old and 18-month-old girls. She was also pregnant with her third child. Garima’s husband is a day laborer and works as a painter.

You can see Garima and her two daughters in the photo of Garima seated, with her girls around her. The effects of malnourishment during Garima’s pregnancy and on her daughters is evident in this photo as it is difficult to discern any difference in size between the 4-year-old and 18-month-old girls.

Garima was severely anemic when she first came to SKT (at this street clinic). The SKT team explained the importance of good nutrition to Garima and her husband, how important it is during pregnancy, and the importance for young children. SKT treated Garima’s anemia and provided food supplies to the family. We are happy to report that Garima has given birth to her third child, a boy, and mother and son are both doing well.

SKT operates three medical clinics in the slums of Jaipur and, in addition, operates temporary street clinics throughout the city. SKT treats chronic and acute health issues for thousands of families. Recently, as part of educational programs by SKT for young women to fight taboos about menstruation, blood samples were taken from 50 young women and ½ of the women were found to be anemic. Six of those needed advanced anemia treatments and two needed immediate blood transfusion. Anemia is widespread and anemic moms’ birth unhealthy babies, creating challenges for families and communities. While SKT addresses the immediate health issues that patients bring to their clinics each day, they also look for solutions to longer-term issues through education and treatment.

Save Kids Trust can supply dry-food supplements to families as needed. Dry foods include rice, lintels, oil, and spices. This simple contribution to a family helps their day wages go further for fresh vegetables and fruits that are key to staying healthy. A $100 donation provides dry-food supplements to ten families.