Good morning,

Howard has asked me to make sure that you received news of his latest experiences during his travel to Honduras. He is in Honduras, visiting with Vitamin Angels in-country program partners. Notes from Howard's daily experiences, in his own words, are below. Pretty amazing!--Ashley

Greetings from Macuelizo, Honduras!

The poverty is still here, the emaciated dogs and farm animals are still here, medical help is still a 3 to 4 hour walk away from many of the villages we work in, and the kids definitely look healthier.

It is not that we are not still seeing children with parasites or hearing about respiratory problems but rather that we are seeing a broad population of children in the schools that are markedly healthier, sick less often, and with immune systems that are now strong enough to respond to common infections and childhood illnesses. We are now seeing many babies who are weighing 7 pounds at birth and looking robust and clearly on the planet.

Click here to watch the pod cast of Howard’s recent distribution in Macuelizo, Honduras

The difference is vitamins—a daily multivitamin program for 55,000 children and their younger siblings through the school system and an expanded prenatal program for moms throughout this region—programs that Vitamin Angels launched in July 2006.
We listened to community members today outside of Macuelizo. They talked about putting in a vitamin A community garden (another is already happening in the nearby town of Azacualpa) and when asked to tell us the key things their children need to be healthy, a number replied ‘clean water.’  Some water filtration systems are going in around this region and many more are needed.

The best part of today is that I got to hold a 4 month old baby (Cindy) and a 4 day old baby today (still unnamed) both of whom are healthy and thriving due to prenatal vitamins taken by their moms throughout their pregnancies.

Holding these babies I was once again reminded why this work is so worthwhile.

Best,

Howard

--
Howard B Schiffer
Founder & President
VITAMIN ANGELS

P.O. Box 42029
Santa Barbara, CA  93140

Ph: 805 564 8400
Fx: 805 564 8499
Web: www.VitaminAngels.org