MFK Blog

Recently MFK’s Coordinator of Operations, Thomas Stehl, attended the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Business Alliance Global Forum in Dubai, U.A.E.  GAIN is a Swiss organization that strives to reduce malnutrition and improve the health of at-risk populations throughout the world. The conference was an exciting opportunity to collaborate and form potential partnerships with other organizations such as World Food Programme, Nutriset, and Britannia Industries Ltd. who all share MFK’s mission in fighting malnutrition and providing nutritional supplements to those in need. MFK was chosen to attend this conference from a pool of over 200 applicants to Ashoka’s Changemakers competition due to our innovative and unique model of development. Tom spoke at the forum to spread the word about MFK’s dedicated work in Haiti and its unique approach in using Haitian raw materials and Haitian labor with Medika Mamba production.  To see Tom’s full interview at the GAIN conference please click on the link below.

Tom's interview at the GAIN Conference

 

***

Meds & Food for Kids saves the lives of Haiti's malnourished children by producing and distributing highly nutritious foods, including Medika Mamba, a Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food endorsed by the World Health Organization and UNICEF. Because of its commitment to Haiti's long-term development, MFK produces Medika Mamba in Haiti, with Haitian labor, and with many Haitian raw materials.

Miss Gourges, a nurse, has been a staple of Justinien Hospital’s pediatric ward for 23 years. Now she runs MFK’s malnutrition clinic at the same hospital, where she educates mothers about good nutrition habits and monitors progress. She gives off the impression of a no nonsense woman who is absolutely unflappable.  Each time the children come in, Miss Gourges asks the mothers the same questions as they strap their children into slings for weighing. Are they eating the Mamba? Are they eating more than just Mamba? Are they drinking clean water? Has there been coughing, fever, or diarrhea? If the answers do not meet her expectations, she sternly tells the mothers what they need to change to make them fit her expectations.

    Every day before the distribution of Mamba, Miss Gourges educates the mothers about foods that keep their children healthy and energetic even with minimal resources. She expresses how happy the mothers are with the program. They’re so grateful to see their children come alive. Unfortunately, not all children who come in qualify for the program, but they still go home with vitamins and a recommendation to an outpatient clinic. Miss Gourges follows the protocols unyieldingly saving Medika Mamba for those children who need it most.

    Her formidableness allows her to make it through the day, but as she pulls me urgently to the bedside of a recently enrolled boy, I know it’s a facade. The boy is an orphan whose mother died last month. He, too, is HIV positive and already severely malnourished. Miss Gourges found him in the pediatric ward, where he was receiving milk formula as treatment for his malnutrition. She enrolled him in the Mamba program without delay and now hopes that he will regain strength and have a fighting chance.  With her on his side, I have every confidence that he will survive. She’s a tough woman, a gentle heart, and an invaluable asset to MFK’s program.

***

Meds & Food for Kids saves the lives of Haiti's malnourished children by producing and distributing highly nutritious foods, including Medika Mamba, a Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food endorsed by the World Health Organization and UNICEF. Because of its commitment to Haiti's long-term development, MFK produces Medika Mamba in Haiti, with Haitian labor, and with many Haitian raw materials.

In the end of May, some members of the board went to Haiti for the first time; stereotypes dissipated, while new conceptions of the realities of Haiti were formed. It began with a bus that never came to deliver a car part which was later discovered not to fit. The car has been broken down for over a month. Each day brought news about the car alternatively generating hope or disappointment. The absence of the second car made accomplishing tasks for the factory a logistical mess. Not to mention it sometimes left the board members riding in the trunk. Amidst an environment that is challenging at best, every accomplishment stands out.
On May 25, MFK’s new product Mamba Lespri was successfully created and taste tested. A new type of peanut butter medicine, Mamba Lespri contains a higher concentration of vitamins and minerals per teaspoon of product. This high concentration makes it ideal for bringing the daily recommended vitamins and minerals to school children in the least possible serving size. This is an exciting development that will expand Mamba impact by ensuring continued healthy growth in older children. Progress, while slow, has infinite potential to create change.


***

Meds & Food for Kids saves the lives of Haiti's malnourished children by producing and distributing highly nutritious foods, including Medika Mamba, a Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food endorsed by the World Health Organization and UNICEF. Because of its commitment to Haiti's long-term development, MFK produces Medika Mamba in Haiti, with Haitian labor, and with many Haitian raw materials.