Monday, August 08, 2005

Fortified Peanut Butter in Nigeria

Hope for Hungry Children, Arriving in a Foil Packet

A fortified peanut butter nutritional supplement is saving the lives of starving Nigerian children.

The use of this supplement not only saves the kids themselves, but frees doctors up to tend those suffering other illnesses.

Traditionally, malnourishment meant hospitalization and fortified milk. Plumpy'nut can be given to mom and fed to the child at home, which means fewer beds and medical resources taken up by starving children. Plus, Plumpy'nut can be manufactured relatively locally.

One of the virtues of Plumpy'nut is that it can be made almost anywhere with local materials and a slurry of vitamins and minerals prepared by Nutriset. Versions of the same product are being manufactured in Malawi and in Niger's capital, Niamey, and Nutriset has welcomed the notion of local partners - from charities to women's groups - who might make Plumpy'nut under license or even as franchisees.


Do you see what that means? Not only can children be fed, but so can a local economy.

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