How to Support Edesia and the Global Fight to End Malnutrition
As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), malnutrition “refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients.” Malnutrition falls into two categories.
The first is undernutrition, whereby a person experiences stunting, or low height for age; wasting, or low weight for height; is underweight, or has a low weight for age; and micronutrient deficiencies or insufficiencies, when a person lacks the necessary amount of necessary vitamins and minerals. The other aspect of malnutrition is the opposite issue. It includes obesity and “diet-related noncommunicable diseases” such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.
The global crisis of malnutrition, however, often refers to undernutrition and the millions of people without access to appropriate amounts of nutritious food. Here’s what you need to know about this issue:
Global Statistics on Malnutrition
Malnutrition has been categorized as a world health crisis by WHO. The Director of the Department of Nutrition for Health and Development at WHO, Dr Francesco Branca, has stated that malnutrition is the “main cause of death and disease in the world." This is due to either people not having enough food to eat or people not having access to the right foods for balanced diets.
According to the latest statistics published by WHO, 462 million people meet the definition for underweight, while 50 million children under the age of 5 are considered wasted. The same report reveals that one in 10 children have a low birth weight. This ratio is significantly higher in South Asia at around one in four children, meaning pregnant women are not consuming enough food and nutrients during pregnancy.
Alarmingly, WHO estimates that around 45 percent of deaths among children aged 5 and younger are directly linked to undernutrition.
How Edesia Is Impacting Global Malnutrition
There are many organizations and groups that aim to end the malnutrition and undernutrition global crises. Among them is Edesia, a nonprofit that manufactures specialized nutrition packets which are delivered to millions of children around the world who are undernourished children. Taking its name from Edesia, the Roman Goddess who presided over banquets, the organization was founded by entrepreneur, Henry Crown Fellow, and philanthropist Navyn Salem. In 2007 on a visit to her father’s homeland of Tanzania, she discovered the destructive and fatal effects of malnutrition.
After learning about the fortified peanut paste Plumpy’Nut and its ability to treat severe cases of malnutrition, Salem sought out and partnered with the paste’s creators, Nutriset, to broaden its reach and get it in the hands of more children. Now, Edesia provides around 1.2 million of its “miracle packets” every single day. Since 2010, it has nourished more than 11 million children in over 50 countries.
Edesia’s success and impact has been based on the fact that it has been able to simplify the process of treating children who are malnourished while significantly reducing costs. While the typical method consists of lengthy hospital stays, special formulas, clean water and refrigeration, Edesia’s packs are portable and ready-to-eat, allowing volunteers to access hard to reach places and get nutritional food quickly in the hands of children.
Plumpy’Nut is a verified ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), based on the formulation of F-100 milk, and it complies with WHO’s definition of RUTF. Using innovative tools, automation, robotics and advanced process control systems within a 24-hour operation, Edesia are able to manufacture many packets and therefore feed as many children who are malnourished as possible.
How to Get Involved with Edesia and Help in the Fight against Malnutrition
Edesia provides many ways for individuals and groups to support its efforts to fight the global malnutrition crisis. The Impact Tour is a one-hour tour of the factory that shows visitors how Plumpy’Nut is made and distributed. It is a popular choice for school trips and large groups. Edesia encourages those on the tour to donate between $10 and $20.
The Production Tour is an extended version of The Impact Tour with more involvement. It allows visitors to get involved with the process on the factory floor and helping pack boxes. For this experience, visitors (in minimum groups of four) are encouraged to make a donation of $250 each.
Edesia also offers a Test Kitchen Tour, a 90-minute experience that includes The Impact Tour as well as an opportunity to taste test the products. For this minimum-of-four group experience, a donation of $75 each is suggested.
There are also designated corporate opportunities to get involved in Edesia’s work which are great for team building. For a suggested donation of $10,000 for a group of 20, the Corporate Team Building experience will see the group get involved in the factory and prepare Plumpy’Nut for shipment.
The Full Shipment option, available for a suggested donation of $75,000, allows companies to fill a shipping container which will be customized with the company logo. It also includes an appreciation reception from Edesia staff. Another opportunity aimed at corporate groups is the Food Bank experience, whereby groups can volunteer at the Innovation Center and package packets for local children in need.
If you are unable to offer hands-on support to Edesia, there are donation options on the website which can be made in one time or recurring payments. Alternatively, you can purchase Edesia’s MeWe products—available on the website and in stores across the United States—with proceeds going directly to the Edesia nonprofit.
