"At first, everyone thought, Jusline would not survive."
Jusline's mother, Zaninka had tried everything, nothing was working.
Her extremely malnourished child was fading, fast.
Then she heard about some people...
Those people happened to be a team of Childhood Rescue health & nutrition experts.
Nutritionist, Benedicte was in Binza, following up with children in our mobile health clinics.
It is here where she met Jusline, thankfully, it was just in time.
Jusline, is now 7 years old. She had suffered from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) since she was 5 years old.
Many children in the Binza region suffer from varying degrees of malnutrition.
A lack of healthcare, community education and nutritious food sources mean many children have stunted growth, left untreated, it can severely affect their future, both physically and mentally.
At the age of 6, Jusline when she was supposed to start school.
Excited to join the other 'big' girls her disappointment was heart-breaking, as her two years of malnutrition meant she was physically and mentally not ready.
Jusline beat malnutrition, now she sings songs of peace for her country
In late 2020, our team came across Jusline. Swollen, bloated and no longer able to walk properly, she was immediately transported to one of our health centres, undergoing weeks of initial treatment. No one expected Jusline to survive and recover. But miracles come in all shapes and sizes, this one was practical and helped by the gift's from our Childhood Rescue donors.
Benedicte recalls meeting Jusline:
"Her hair was discoloured and brittle. There was swelling of the tissues on her lower and upper limbs, Jusline displayed the worst forms of malnutrition. Her friends all looked taller and healthier. They were also mentally more alert than her, despite the fact that they were all the same age."
"The first day I met her, I referred her immediately to Nyamilima General Hospital because Jusline's symptoms presented as a complicated form of severe acute malnutrition. She needed therapeutic milk and foods to address her basic and urgent needs, which then allowed for the further complications to be medically managed."
Upon her healthy recovery, Benedicte continues to visit Jusline's home to check on her, as she and the team do for all children in recovery.
Beyond providing therapeutic foods and milk to help children survive, families need access to ongoing sustainable fresh and nutritious food.
To help provide this, Childhood Rescue facilitates community care group.
The forming and resourcing of local care groups, enables mothers and women to learn how to farm and grow their own food.
It has been extremely successful and is a key initiative in the bigger strategy to help children and Binza communities survive and build a future in the often food scare region.
"I have now joined the care group to learn how to prepare balanced meals and grow our own vegetable gardens. This helps to ensure that my family's food intake is balanced for my children's needs,’’ says Zaninka, Mother of Jusline.
As for Jusline, she has regained her infectious smile.
She is excited to finally put on her school uniform and walk with her friends each morning to school.
Your gifts truly helped Jusline, survive, recover and now, begin to build a future.