First Thursday

In the states, first Thursday meant that my mom, my sister and I would go downtown to eat in the Pearl District and then walk through all the galleries and furniture stores that stayed open late on the first Thursday of every month. Here in Honduras, first Thursday means that I get to see 24 of the precious children and their mothers who take part in our nutrition program.

Today we added 11 new participants to our nutrition program in San Marcos de Colon. Qualification for admittance into the program is that the children must be below the 10 percentile for height, weight and head circumference in their age group. All 11 children and their mothers showed up bright and early this morning, at our local church, to receive education and instructions about how the nutrition program functions. Each mother receives education on the importance of good nutrition and hygiene. Then they receive their nutrition program identification tags that they use to receive credit at one of our four suppliers. Twice a week the mothers go to the local market to receive fresh fruits and vegetables, 1 lb of beef, and 1 liter of milk. Once a month the mothers go to the market to pick up their dry goods such as rice, beans, sugar and cereal. At the end of each month we cancel the bill with the suppliers. This system has been working well and we have been seeing improvements in the growth and development of the children. The families of the children are also given 4 chickens to ensure that the child has access to eggs, which are a wonderful source of protein.

After we finished orienting the new mothers and took photos of the 11 children we commenced with medical exams of every child, which were given by our new clinic doctor. The children's height and weight is charted and reassessed monthly to ensure that we are achieving our desired results. Each child is then sent home with vitamins and any medication needed to treat the constant illnesses and infections that plague malnourished children.

It was a fabulous Thursday morning here in Honduras! I played with children, held babies and chatted with caring mothers. I miss the Pearl District and the time spent with my mom and my sister, but I cannot deny the love that I saw in the eyes of the 24 children! I don't think I could give up first Thursdays in Honduras for anything!

PS Sorry no pics, the internet is slow today...
PPS I blog for comments!