MFK Blog

On June 14th, Dr. Patricia Wolff, MFK's Executive Director, will be speaking in Washington D.C. at the Global Health Council Conference. The PlumpyField Network will host a special discussion on the need for innovation and political action in the fight for child health and nutrition.

Dr. Wolff will speak to the benefits of locally produced Ready to Use Foods (RUFs) along with the use of local agricultural and labor to create a sustainable solution to treating malnutrition. The benefits of the local approach to RUFs include: their ability to target populations with the greatest need for nutritional interventions, local farmers having access to an expanded and stable market to sell their products, and the jobs created spur economic development. RUFs help ameliorate nutritional emergencies, locally produced RUFs target the root causes of malnutrition.

Other leaders and entrepreneurs from the PlumpyField Network will discuss how they work to ensure these nutritional products reach the children who need them most. The themes of the conference include increasing production of targeted nutritional products tailored to the needs of affected population, promoting global cooperation and support from the private sector, and achieving sustainability by raising awareness.

 In 2010 alone, PlumpyField network members, including MFK, have supplied enough RUFs to treat more than one million children suffering from severe acute malnutrition and one million children suffering from moderate acute malnutrition. Nutriset and the PlumpyField Network are currently invested in more than 60 scientific studies to develop new products, targeted to address the entire spectrum of nutritional deficiencies in the developing world.

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 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 February 2011 we began an exciting new partnership with a community based in the tiny rural village of La Victoire, some 2.5 hours from Cap Haitian in the mountains leading to the Central Plateau.

The program is supported by Fearless Warriors, a religious-based non-profit founded by a couple from Belvidere, IL, whose mission is to help Haitians help themselves. MFK supplied the initial 2 months supply of Medika Mamba to get the program going, along with staff training in treating malnutrition and education for families on good nutrition for their children.

The clinic started with 11 kids. After 6 weeks on the Medika Mamba program, 9 of the children reached their goal weight and graduated. The other two will continue the program for a few more weeks. Soon Fearless Warriors will be graduating their second class of Medika Mamba children.?

Fearless Warriors provided peanut seeds to 52 families in the community.  The peanuts grown will provide a needed source of protein for diets that are often high in sugar and carbohydrates. The additional protein will keep bellies full and provide instant energy. In addition, the farmers can sell the peanuts to provide vital extra income.

The best aspect of this program is that the farmers can also sell the peanuts to MFK! This project will allow us to expand the amount of raw peanuts we purchase in Haiti. Fearless Warriors is doing critical work alongside MFK. The partnership enhances MFK’s impact on farmers and children. Fearless Warriors benefit by being able to expand the number of children they treat in Haiti. This partnership is as natural as let’s say… peanut butter and jelly.

To Read More about Fearless Warriors click here

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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