Vitamin Angels generally works with local, in-country organizations to reach the children that we serve. Our partner organizations with permanent in-country facilities and staff are uniquely positioned to give our readers the greatest insight into the lives of the children we are reaching and the conditions they face.

We recently conducted an online interview with one of our field partners, the Haitian Development Fund. Vitamin Angels is working with the Haitian Development Fund to provide multivitamins to 33,160 children in Haiti. Here are a few the excerpts from the interview:

Where does your group or organization work?
We work in the inner-city of Port-au-Prince. The community name is Sarthe.

What is a typical diet of a child or mother there?
Beans and rice. Very little meat and very little nut proteins.

(Poor diet and lack of access to nutritional foods is one of the greatest contributing factors to micronutrient deficiencies. Often called the “hidden hunger,” many malnourished children suffer not simply from the lack of food, but from the lack of access to food with the vitamins and minerals they need to thrive.)

Critics say that providing aid to underdeveloped countries only inhibits their self-sufficiency and growth. In your experience, does providing aid to your beneficiaries foster an environment of dependency, or grant them the tools they need to help themselves? How so?
Haiti has so little natural resources and almost no capital. It is a failed state. If America does not help, many will suffer, starve, and die.

What is the biggest misconception that people have about the work that you do or the people you serve?
The biggest misconception that people have is that Haitians do not wish to work. They do, but with 80% unemployment/underemployment, what can one expect?

How has your staff been personally affected by the provision of vitamin supplements for children and/or mothers that you serve?
Knowing that we can start a new life in good shape makes us all feel that we are doing something proactive, not reactive with illness.

(One of the recognized benefits of vitamin supplementation is that it is a preventative measure. When children receive the proper nutrition, their immune systems are stronger and their bodies have the ability to function and grow properly. They are less likely to develop illnesses that lead to mortality, and have the tools to live a happy and healthy life.)

Learn more >> about our project in Haiti, visit our Programs page
Donate >> to our project in Haiti and our Thrive to Five program