Meet Sonia.
Sonia and her family live in poverty in a makeshift shelter near the train tracks of a slum in Mumbai. Their home lacks latrines and regular running water. The family can’t afford healthy foods often, so they eat mostly rice and potatoes. National health services pass over their informal community.
Her brother, Raj was severely vitamin A deficient as a child. He had no means of getting this nutrient which is critical to immune function, vision, skin and hair. As a result, he was sick all the time. After a particularly severe fever brought on by measles, he lost the vision in one eye forever. Partially blind and having been unable to complete his education, at age 17 his opportunities for employment and a productive future are dim.
His love for Sonia, however, shines brightly. He is grateful her future will look a lot different than his own thanks to the power of vitamins.