We're in Northeastern Guatemala, about 2 1/2 hours outside of Guatemala City, in a poor desert region (see map). For the last couple of years there has been a drought, which has only added to the chronic malnutrition. Maternal mortality is already the third highest in this region. And mortality rates for children under five are high as well. Vitamin A deficiency (14-19%), anemia (38%), stunting (54%), underweight (18%), are all at serious levels.

On top of these overwhelming odds, the government allocates very little funding to healthcare which means that faith-based groups have their work cut out for them. Vitamin Angels is happy be partnering Faith In Practice through our Thrive To Five program. Presently, Faith In Practice is the second largest health care provider in Guatemala, they have been operating for 18 years, and serve about 17,000 people per year.

Watching Faith In Practice in action is like watching a mobile hospital or a MASH unit suddenly set up and run a complete medical facility (with Ob-Gyn, Pediatrics, General Medicine, Dentistry, and referrals) in less than an hour and then proceed to process (full triage in affect) 450 patients over one long day. Pretty impressive.

Some of the women had walked for 2 1/2 hours to get to the clinic (they were drawing people from 5 villages). And then they waited in lines for hours as this is the only medical care they have available. The team handed out hundreds of bottles of prenatal multivitamins (a big thank you to all of the contributors who make donations from Andrew Lessman and ProCaps Labs possible). And of course, many bottles of children's multivitamins (we need more! - please contact Amy Steets at Vitamin Angels, 805 564 8400).

The children, mothers and fathers were all so glad to see us. This is what 'reaching the unreachable' looks like, going to the most remote villages where no one else is going, and providing help that would otherwise not be available. Doing this work is a gift.

*Our Thrive to Five multivitamin projects provide a high volume of doses (1,095,000 in this case) per woman/child. While our project in Guatemala is small at present, we are always seeking to expand our reach, if you are interested in making a gift in kind donation to support our programs (Thrive To Five or Operation 20/20) please contact Amy Steets (asteets@vitaminangels.org or 805.564.8400).

Guatemala - Linda McCarty with Vitamin Angels partner Faith in Practice from Vitamin Angels on Vimeo.

I’m on a dusty road, 7 hours out of Mumbai. Oxen-drawn carts are the 'freight' carriers out here. Women are sitting down by the river doing their wash while children splash in what remains of the water before the rainy season, still 3 1/2 months away, arrives. It is so hot and dry. We’re on the border of Maharastra and Gujurat state (see map), visiting small villages with our partners from Child Eye Care Charitable Trust. They’ve established a center in Dang District, a remote rural area of 300 villages. So far, they have established programs in 100 villages and expect to have the area fully covered by 2012. Their programs are amazing, very comprehensive in offering a wide range of health services and development training. Our vitamin A program (part of Operation 20/20) is a perfect fit with their prevention methods and eye care services. Our vitamin A and deworming posters have been translated into Gujurati and Maharati (and are fully illustrated) so the tribal peoples can understand them. Illiteracy is a major challenge here and the poverty is endemic.

This morning we visited Chika Tiya and Davdah, small villages of about 40-50 families. When we arrived, the kids (about 25-30 under 5's) were all sitting in the 'community center' (a 1 room, mud walled hut). They were so cute, yet so malnourished. Skin problems, brittle hair, lots of coughing and runny noses, all signs of vitamin A deficiency. Dr. Pradeep N. Sawardekar is with us, translating and making sure the program is being conducted properly. The diet here is dahl (lentils) and roti (tortillas) and that's about it. With some success Dr. Pradeep's group is trying to encourage the families to put in kitchen gardens at their homes to supplement their diets. The government here (especially in Gujurat) has made some good strides recently. Most villages now have water, though we still see women gathering water from small creeks when their homes are too far from the village. It's one of the signs of rural India; women and girls with large water tins balanced perfectly on their heads walking down the road (one of the girls tried to show Zoe how it is done this morning). People are also using latrines which is helping lower the incidence of parasites.

India is changing in so many ways. The roads, though still life endangering with every outing (a two lane road is treated as 6 lanes, seriously, and passing up hill on a blind curve is common practice), are actually paved even to the small villages (not the case in Haiti for example - where knee deep ruts made a 29 mile journey take 2 1/2 hours). We see the progress and yet there is still so much work to be done. Tomorrow we're headed into the slums of Mumbai.

Dr. Pradeep N. Sawardekar from Vitamin Angels on Vimeo.

You can find more Notes from the Field here>> 

Vitamin Angels recently traveled to the country of Haiti to visit our implementation partner, Hope for Haiti. Through our partnership with this organization and several others, in 2009 we were able to reach 710,500 children and 60,000 lactating mothers with vitamin A supplements, a nutrient that is essential for good health and bodily development. Through similar partnerships, over 33,000 children and 17,200 pregnant and lactating mothers have been provided with essential multivitamins this year.

Haiti has continued to rank year after year as the poorest country in the western hemisphere. According to Unicef, 24% of children under five in the country suffer from moderate to severe stunting. The lack of economic and political stability in the country has intensified problems concerning child development, as violence and lack of infrastructure often prevent improvements in child health and education.

In a recent online interview, Sister Denise, who works at a prenatal clinic in Baraderes, Haiti reached through our partners at Hope for Haiti, shared her thoughts and experiences on maternal and child health in Haiti and on working with Vitamin Angels. Here is an excerpt from the interview:
 

What is a typical diet of a child in Baraderes? 

The typical diet of a child is rice, beans, meat, milk, fruits. Most of the time [it’s] very poor. It is the same for the parents.

What are the most common ailments and diseases that the children and mothers you work with suffer from? What are these ailments a result of?

[They] have malaria, anemia, respiratory infections, intestinal parasites, diarrhea, dermatologic infections, and AIDS. A good meal everyday could help.

How do the vitamins that these children/mothers receive impact their health and their lives?

Those vitamins that these children and mothers receive will help them against infection and protect them [from] other diseases and give them a better health.

What is the current political and economic status of Haiti? How has it affected the health and lives of your beneficiaries?

The current political and economic [situation] [is] awful in my country. People live in extreme poverty. They can’t afford to go to the doctor because it costs money. Some of them die from their diseases.

What are the biggest obstacles to reach those that you serve?

Sometimes the biggest obstacles are the economic support. With money, we can reach them easy.

How has your staff been personally affected the by provision of vitamin supplements for children and/or mothers that you serve?

My staff is very happy about your visit and your donation by providing Vitamin A for the mother and child. Now all the children are going to get their vitamin A. We have started already with some schools in our areas. We thank you very much for visiting us.

Watch this video interview with Sister Denise from our trip to Haiti.

Read more about the issues facing child health in Haiti from Unicef>>
Donate to support our programs in Haiti and across the globe>>