Kenya Malnutrition Appeal

In the Kayole region of Nairobi, 28-year-old Susan became increasingly worried about her young baby’s development. She knew she should be moving around more, maybe even walking. 

After a visit from Concern-supported community workers, Susan’s worst fears were confirmed - Hawi was showing warning signs of acute malnutrition. She was referred to the local health clinic for further assessment.

At just 11-months-old, Hawi is one of tens of thousands of small children whose families cannot afford to purchase enough food for their children, and whose lives have been devastatingly impacted due to the crippling effects of extreme poverty.

In fact, one in five children across Nairobi's informal urban settlements are suffering from malnutrition, and there is no time to lose to support their journey back to health.

Last year, Concern screened more than 70,000 children for malnutrition in Nairobi.

One of those children was little Hawi, whose mother Susan had been desperately worried about her baby's development.

"When the CHV (community health volunteer) came, she advised me to go to the health centre to have my baby checked," Susan tells us. 

"I see mothers whose kids are starving, and end up on the programme, but, I did not expect my Hawi to end up on it as well. I always sympathised with mothers whose children ended up on the programme, but, I never thought it would be my baby."

Hawi was immediately put on a course of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), but Susan fears for her future and the futures of her three other children as well.

"I was born and raised here in Kayole when life was much simpler. It’s not hard to get food around here, but it’s very pricey, the price of maize meal flour was 120 shillings, and now it costs 200 shillings. Usually, 200 shillings is all I have to work with. I don’t know why prices have gone high, but, I do my best to cater for my family."

By donating today, you can help us to provide children like Hawi with the emergency therapeutic food they need to begin their recovery from malnutrition.

No child should ever go hungry but, sadly, this is the reality for those living in informal settlements in Nairobi, and it's a growing crisis.

Concern's community health promoters visit between 80 and 100 families every month. They are the vital link between children like Hawi and the life-saving treatment you can help provide today.

However, they cannot do it without support from people like you. Please give what you can today.