“I saw Razana on Sunday, the 8th of July. Her mother brought her and she did not have any urgent complaint, but the triage group soon identified the girl had severe acute malnutrition. She was 1 year and 2 months old and weighing 4 kilos. She got fed 3 times a day with only rice and water. Her mother tried to breastfeed, but she did not have any milk. Razana was stable despite her severe nutritional condition and that is why she was not hospitalized. We started a severe malnutrition protocol, using medication and formula for the first malnutrition weeks. She is been monitored daily.”

The volunteer physician Fabiana Maria da Silva reported that she saw Razana last Sunday.

After a week of treatment, Razana gained 1Kg. The formula, made by the volunteer nutritionist from FWB, Claudete Chiapinni, is made of milk powder, oil, sugar, salt, vitamins, and zinc, and the child has to take 1 liter a day. This formula is given to the families, who prepare it at home. All of that in addition to the mush-like food that is offered by Fraternity without Borders’ Community Centre, once a day.

“We noticed that Razana’s mother is very dedicated. She only didn’t have what to feed her child. Today, however, she looks after, prepares the formula, feeds, brings here every day, she is attentive”, says the doctor Fabiana, who continues, “we realized that she will soon recover, it was a considerable evolution”.

“Each volunteer from the staff here was very glad about Razana’s recovery, mainly for being able to witness the difference Fraternity without Borders can make on these people’s lives. We saw that it works, we saw that FWB changed the life of this child who could die in a few months. All this because a sponsor donated R$50”, says Fabiana.

In Madagascar, over 53% of children suffer from acute or severe malnutrition. This sad and urgent reality made FWB implement, beyond its two community centers, a small structure in the village of Androhondroho, which will serve as food distribution and medical consultation center.

Meanwhile, in Fraternity City, built in six months and inaugurated this July, a family doctor is going to be available to take care of the 500 sheltered people, plus the sheltered from Field of Peace. “Despite the great joy of seeing the Fraternity City inauguration and of making the health actions permanent in the region, we know the major challenge we have to face ahead. Once again, we will need many hearts united working for Fraternity without Bordes”, explains Janaine Camargo, the responsible doctor who land on the island this August.

This kind of situation, usual in Madagascar, breaks our hearts and fill us with hope, at the same time.

There is so much yet to do, there is so much to achieve and change. We are on the right track!

Razana and Ângelo are examples that a small action can change a story. Your love enables a life to continue and your donation enables this fraternal chain to continue.