Vitamin Angels received the below update and photos from our partners at Cristo Salva in Honduras where they are distributing children's multivitamins and prenatal vitamins.

We continue to see a marked difference in those that take vitamins and deworming meds and those that do not.

We are “catching up” with our deworming, but should be up to speed by the end of the school year in December.  We have found a few “bellys” so we have our work cut out for us. 

With the country just coming out of the political situation from last year, schools continue to close for multiple days at a time.  We have children actually complaining to the teachers that they want their vitamins!

More children are wearing shoes, cutting down on soil contamination.  Clean water is an ongoing issue, partly by the fact that they turn the water off almost every day, making it difficult to obtain water except from a river or contaminated source.   We have dug two wells on our property and trying to find ways to get the water to the folks in the communities. 

We are now holding partera education classes (midwives). The local parteras are pushing the need for the prenatal vitamins and diet (as they can find food).  We continue to see healthy babies. The goal is every woman child bearing age to stay on the vitamins.  We have a long road ahead, but with education, even the teenagers are asking for the “big vitamin”.  

We realize that the program is a “gift”. We know we have over extended the time allotted to us, but are so appreciative of the continued support.  I personally have learned quite a bit fumbling my way through all of this, not an expert by any means, but now much more able to understand what is required to run a program such as this. We are learning as we grow. 

I am enclosing photos. Again, thank you.
Pat Havener RN
Medical Director
Cristo Salva
www.cristosalva.org