“There is a basic human right to not starve to death.”

Dr. Paul Farmer, from Partners In Health, made this profound statement in a presentation at Christ Church a few weeks ago, and it succinctly describes how those of us blessed with abundance should respond to those who are hungry. Here is a sad but true fact: we live in a world where  one person dies every four seconds due to starvation.

What can we possibly do? A lot! Thanks to you, last year’s Haiti “Adopt-A-Child” program succeeded in treating 232 children! This year, from June 15 to September 14, we will be given the opportunity to help treat 300 malnourished children with life-giving food, locally grown and produced by Haitian farmers and workers. These children, ages 7 months to around 5 years-old, live in Boucan Carre, a critically poor region in the Central Plateau of Haiti.

Thanks to Partners In Health (PIH) and Partners In Agriculture (PIA), a food program exists to help feed Haiti’s most vulnerable population – its children – who have severe malnutrition. The sickest children are admitted to one of nine PIH hospitals, where they are fed a “food medication” called Nourimanba, a highly nutritious blend of peanuts, powdered milk, vitamins, sugar and oil. Nourimil, a cereal-based food made from corn or beans and rice, is administered for less severe malnutrition, and given to mothers who take their child home after leaving the hospital. A Family Assistance Program established through PIA helps monitor each child’s progress after they leave the hospital, with trained nurses and nutritionists who follow the children’s progress back to health, and teach the mothers about cooking and basic nutrition. The farmers and workers growing and harvesting this food have been trained by the PIA program which Gillaine and Charles Warne, Christ Church parishioners, started in 2002 as the “agricultural arm” of Partners In Health.

We challenge everyone -- individuals, families, small and large groups, and young and old alike to adopt a child for the coming year. The bulletin board outside the offices in the main hall of the Parish House will post information about “Adopt-A-Child,” including a list of children by name, their age, weight, and severity of their condition.

The cost to adopt each child is a modest $12 a month, or $144 a year. Imagine that only $12 a month can save a child’s life! Most of us think nothing of spending that amount of money on something incidental for ourselves. We know our combined efforts can help save lives.

For more information, contact Lisa Dalton, ldalton@ccgsc.org or 271-8773, ext. 137.

Written by Susan Conway, Missions & Outreach Communications Team Member