Hello from Haiti!
Have the past few weeks been as wild and crazy for you as they have been for us?
Things seem to be moving at a break-neck pace as we set out to accomplish our project wish list for 2023. I’m sure you have one too. There is just so much we hope to accomplish.
Life in Haiti is still difficult. Most notably, the rains that typically come this time of year, have yet to fall. So, while we focus on the programs you all know best, we are working on some new projects as well.
We can’t wait to share those updates with you. But today, we wanted to bring things back to where they all began almost 10 years ago.
On May 14th, 2023 we will be celebrating the 10 year anniversary of our Malnutrition Treatment Center in Jean Louis, just outside of Cap Haitien.
Could there be a better way to kick off our 10-year-celebration than to celebrate with this guy?
We didn’t think so. So here he is. Recent graduate of our Cap Haitien Malnutrition Treatment Center: Jeffly.
Age: 2 years 9 months
Favorite Things: Peanut Butter, Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa
Favorite Pastime: Peanut Butter, Fast Cars, and Collecting Rocks
Jeffly was referred to the Malnutrition Treatment Center by a nurse from a nearby hospital. He and his mother subsequently spent 6 weeks with us, growing, learning, and healing.
The bright smile you’ve become accustomed to was no where to be found when we first met Jeffly and his 18-year-old mother, Jessica at the end of 2022.
He was 20 lbs when he arrived. Still underweight for his age despite the swelling of his face, arms, and legs. He was just shy of two years old.
One of the first things Jeffly’s mom learned from the staff at Second Mile Haiti, was how to feed her son “Plumpy Nut,” the peanut butter-based food that would help him recover.
Some kids need a lot of coaxing when it comes to this fortified food, but Jeffly needed no extra encouragement.
In fact, Jeffly was such a big fan of “Manba" (the Haitian Creole word for peanut butter) that he earned himself the nickname "Little Peanut Butter Man."
Jeffly may not have been able to stand on his swollen legs when he arrived. And he was certainly too weak to smile during his first few weeks at the center. But today, he is an energetic toddler, loved by his family, and full of life.
He will be turning three years old later this year.
As of this writing, all 42 beds in Second Mile Haiti’s two Malnutrition Treatment Centers are full.
With rising food prices and a severe drought, children continue to succumb to illness when their caloric needs are not met.
In 2013, we had just 12 beds and we supported just 13 families that first year. Now we are able to support more than 300 families in a single year. We are so very grateful to all of you.
Your support makes each family’s journey possible.
Your support really can change a life.
❤️ from Haiti