Take a stand against Severe Acute Malnutrition with PB+J Foods!

 

Did you know that Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) is the number one killer of children under five years of age? Nearly 20 million children around the world suffer from SAM. In fact, SAM kills 3.5 million children each year. To put that in perspective, that’s more than HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria combined. As a mother (and a person) that is an unacceptable fact. So what can we do to help?
In March 2012, 5 unique individuals from Orange County, California got together and pooled their personal time and money to fight SAM in undeveloped nations. In just 17 months, the non-profit organization they created, PB+J Foods, saved the lives of nearly 1,200 children in Malawi, Africa, who were suffering from SAM!

So what is PB+J Foods?

 

PB+J Foods is a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the capabilities of underdeveloped communities by meeting their nutritional needs and creating economic growth. They do this by providing Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF)  which are soft or crushable foods that can be consumed easily by children, from the age of six months, without the need of adding water. One type of RUTF is fortified peanut butter paste. This product is a high caloric food supplement consisting of peanut butter paste, powder milk, sugar, vegetable oil and a vitamin/mineral micro nutrient package. The peanuts contain mono-unsaturated fats, are easily digestible, and are high in zinc and protein, which greatly help the immune system. A great benefit to this type of RUTF is that it can be stored without refrigeration for months without spoiling and requires no cooking.

PB+J Foods doesn’t just stop at providing their peanut butter paste, they help create economic growth in the community by the starting Co-op Farmer Programs. These programs will typically have 800-1000 farmers, primarily single mothers. The Co-op Farmer Program will help farmers buy seeds for their peanut crop; teach farmers how to grow the peanut crop; and will secure an international buyer to buy the farmers crop of peanuts. This program will create a cash crop for locals in the project area.

So how can you help PB+J Foods on their mission to stop SAM?

There are many ways you can help, like spreading the word via social media, or even just telling your friends about it. The best way to help to to make a donation! You can do this on the Donation Page and remember, every little bit helps! If you would like to learn more about this wonderful organization, please visit the PB+J Website and Facebook Page and join us in helping spread the word!

 

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