We first met Marat on December 15th of last year. When she was 23 months old, she weighed only 20lbs 11oz. Marat was admitted into our treatment program and 2 months later she was fully discharged weighting 22lbs 12oz.
Just after Marat was admitted, her mother brought her 10 year old sister, Mageline, along to one of her appointments. We realized that Mageline was also suffering from malnutrition when she weighed in at a mere 41lbs 5oz. Mageline was also admitted into our treatment program and gained over 5 pounds during her time on Medika Mamba.
During the time the girls were in our care, we got to know their family very well. We learned they were from an area of Port Au Prince called Carrefour, about an hour and a half from the center, and that both mama and daddy were very involved in their girls’ care. During their time with us, Marat and Mageline’s mom and dad were both very active in our education and Bible classes. Since the girls have returned home, their family has taken it upon themselves to educate their entire neighborhood on malnutrition through a small community group, all based on the things they learned about at Middle Ground! They have referred many, many children to our care. During every visit, their dad, Augusthene, takes time to sit and talk to the other parents. He boldly shares his faith and reiterates the education that our staff shares.
In 2018, Augusthene participated in our small business training program and used his loan to start a business selling personal hygiene products in his neighborhood. This allows him an even bigger audience to share his wealth of knowledge about the causes and treatment of malnutrition in children.
