Meds & Food For Kids :: MFK Recent News

On July 22nd, Patricia Rice writes in the St. Louis Beacon about the progress in Haiti since the earthquake. It focuses on Meds & Food For Kids and a Haitian hospital, both founded by St. Louisians. The article discusses the problems facing Haiti following the earthquake and the relief provided by MFK. Rice writes that Medika Mamba "has more magic than anything in Willie Wonka's fictional factory." To read the complete story please 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.

Fetiana Aimable has the face of a precious three year old, but her arms and legs are dry and wrinkled from loss of water. Sitting on her mother’s lap, she coughs quietly but never whines. She lives with her parents and two older siblings, aged 8 and 9. Her parents are both unemployed and thus struggle to support their family, small as it is. Fetiana’s mother, Sheila, admits that they rely on the kindness of their neighbors for donations of money so that their kids can eat. She is shamed by this statement, but her voice remains fiercely steady because she has done what she must to help her children. She heard about the program through other mothers in her area that had seen their children ‘come back to life’ with Medika Mamba.

Last week when Fetiana started the Medika Mamba program, she had extensive edema; her face, arms, legs, and feet were swollen with fluids, a common aspect of acute malnutrition. In her first week of treatment, her weight dropped from 19 lbs to 15 lbs 10 oz, an 18% decrease due to loss of water alone. This loss of water weight is normal, as the body starts to regain normal functions, and now she can begin her climb to a normal weight for her height, which should enable her to fight off the little colds that continuously plague her. For a three year old, she appears unnaturally still and fragile, but her eyes glance around with an encouraging curiosity. Sheila expresses excitement about the coming weeks because Fetiana now has an appetite. Her mother used to have to force her to eat, and now, Fetiana is demanding her daily Mamba!

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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.

Tim Brenneman and David Jordan are associated with Meds & Food For Kids through a USAID funded project, the Peanut Collaborative Research and Support Project (PCRSP). Both recently joined MFK’s agronomist James Rhoads for a visit to assess trial plots, collect soil samples, plant more than 15 varieties of seed with local growers, collect data, and meet with potential partners for future collaborative efforts.

Pictured: David Jordan, front and Tim Brenneman, background.

Tim is a plant pathologist and professor at the University of Georgia. He has a PhD in plant pathology and heads up a university level program that focuses on improving disease management treatment strategies via an integrated approach of cultural practices, resistant germplasm, and wise use of fungicides. David Jordan is a crop science extension specialist and professor at North Carolina State University. He holds a PhD in agronomy and brings many years of professional experience in international activities primarily associated with peanut production and pest management in Ghana, West Africa. Each bring a keen awareness and understanding of the differences in agricultural practices between the United States and Haiti, partly because they recognize the limits of their knowledge and its applicability in an environment so vastly different. This was evident when after a long day in the field spent observing, conversing with local farmers, and learning lessons, Tim talked about the importance of knowing when to take a back seat. Expertise somewhere is not expertise everywhere. “It pays to talk to the locals,” said Tim after a brief visit with a peasant farmer that included a tour of his land. He continued, “This man knows his land. They do a lot more observing than I do. I mean, I’ve never had problems with rats eating peanuts prior to harvesting in the United States where everything is controlled for and easily monitored.” Tim was unlikely to prefer the specific variety of peanuts preferred by the farmer. However, after hearing from the farmer and relying on local knowledge, Tim understood why he would rather put in the extra time doing hard labor in order to produce any yield at all, especially when the other option could be none at all. He reiterates without hesitation, “It pays to talk to the locals.”

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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.

Frank Nolin has made a huge contribution to MFK’s peanut processing technology. His donation of a sorting table and drying equipment will allow MFK to process Haitian peanuts faster and more effectively, allowing us to purchase more peanuts and reduce our costs considerably.

Donald Chase and Frank Nolin are old friends. Donald is the president of the Georgia Peanut Commission and a peanut farmer, whose yields are usually double the state average. Donald visited MFK in Haiti with the most recent visit from the PCRSP group. He saw the need for a peanut sorting table and since he had bought one for his kids that was not being used, he shipped it to Frank who cleaned it up and practically rebuilt the entire thing. Frank adapted the sorter table with a hopper, a feeder, and a peanut splitter that helps determine if the peanuts are contaminated. Even if a camera had been available when we first turned on the variable speed vibrating sorting table, it could not have captured the expressions from MFKs peanut processing staff as peanuts magically slid by.

Below is a photo of the sorter used

Frank is the former owner of Nolin Steel, a company founded by his father and now owned by his son. Nolin Steel manufactures all types of equipment, and specializes in equipment for peanuts. Frank designed and built the drier with suggestions from Dr. Chris Butts, the main agriculture engineer at the United States Department of Agriculture research station in Griffon, GA.

It’s a prototype for developing country settings, where energy is very expensive. The blower motor is very small and consumes very little power. It uses as much solar energy as possible to create heat and is assisted with a propane burner and

thermostat, similar to what is used in the US. The most important aspect of drying peanuts and other crops is the air movement rather than the temperature, as high temperatures cause problems.

Below is a photo of the dryer

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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.

MFK - aka "Dr Peanut" - is the subject of an in-depth article published in the Riverfront Times this week here in St. Louis, as well as the Miami New Times, the Phoenix New Times, the Houston Press, the LA Weekly, and the San Francisco Weekly. Read here.

Beacon Shows MFK's Progress in Haiti

Fetiana wants her Mamba!

PCRSP Visits Haiti

Frank Nolin and New Equipment

MFK in the news: read about "Dr. Peanut" here!