Natasha is a beautiful, 23 year old Haitian woman who is benefiting from a number of our programs. Although she had to quit school at the age of 17 because of a lack of funds, she is quite savvy and is doing all that she can to keep her family healthy.

When she first met her husband, they discussed having children; however, due to financial difficulties and the reality of their situation, together they decided to only have two children. She immediately started receiving birth control shots every three months until they were prepared to have their first child. They now have their two children, the firstborn is four years old and her youngest son is two years old. Now that we have initiated our Family Planning Program, Natasha comes to our PTA/PNS clinic every three months to receive her dosage.

Natasha's first child was a healthy baby boy, however, her youngest son, Kabi, has had some difficulties. She first noticed that something was wrong at the beginning of 2012 when he was just under one year old. He was getting sick often and there were times he was too weak to hold his head up. She was referred by an organization to get x-rays and medicine from a local hospital. The x-rays did not show anything and the typical medicines for his symptoms were not helping. She and the doctors were unable to get a clear vision on what particular issues her baby had. Kabi continued to weaken and his diarrhea and fever were getting worse. Finally, at the beginning of March 2012, she heard about our Outpatient Therapeutic Program (PTA) and was referred there. Her son met criteria for admission and immediately began receiving treatment. 

Our main treatment for children in our PTA program is Plumpy Nut, a medical peanut butter that is packed with vitamins and minerals specifically designed for severely malnourished children. At first, Kabi did not want to eat it as it was so different from his normal diet. When this happens, our staff encourages the mothers to mix it in with foods they are accustomed to such as rice, soup, and cornmeal. Natasha tried this and by the 3rd day of eating the "medika mamba", Kabi started to like the taste and was eating it by itself.

Within the first week of entering our PTA program, Kabi improved considerably. By the end of the first month, he was gaining weight, could hold his head up, his fever and diarrhea disappeared, and he was even starting to walk!

By the end of August, Kabi was discharged from PTA and entered into our Supplementary Food Program (PNS) for three months of continued follow-up. This is required for any child who is discharged from PTA. Instead of coming once a week for PTA, Kabi came twice a week so our staff could take his measurements, discuss any health concerns, and receive Plumpy'Sup--a peanut butter similar to Plumpy Nut and designed for children who are moderately malnourished. Over the course of five months, Natasha's son had become a completely different child and was healthier than she had ever seen him.

In addition to the treatment Kabi was receiving, Natasha grew in her knowledge of nutrition and health. While in our PTA and PNS programs, our staff teaches the mothers and caregivers about preparing balanced meals and the importance of treating or filtering their  water. In March of this year, Natasha attended our Hearth Program (Ti Fwaye). This two-week program offers in-depth training for mothers and caregivers to learn how to maintain a sanitary home, cook balanced meals using local and affordable foods, the importance of drinking clean water, and how to care for the essential needs of their families. Natasha now reports that her home is clean, she is cooking balanced meals on her shoestring budget, she treats her water, and is living a happy, healthier life. She is confident in the knowledge she obtained so much so that she is giving advice to others in her community regarding these important issues.

Without our PTA/PNS and Ti Fwaye programs, Natasha says she does not know what she would have done. She believes CNP saved her child's life and has improved her own drastically. She trusts that she can now provide for her children and husband in every possible way and is grateful to CNP for all we have been able to do to help her family.