Baby Witness
This is little Witness when we first saw her at our clinic in 2018.
“Formula for Success” is our on-going infant through toddler formula program. During our 2018 clinic in the Kasansa region of Tanzania, we came across little Witness, “Witty”, totally by chance. Her mother had passed at birth and her aunt brought her to our clinic to see if there was any help available. During registration, she was told there was no help for this malnourished child, and she should step out of line. While sitting in the courtyard, one of our clinicians came across Whitty and her aunt. Seeing her condition, Witty was soon examined and fed donated formula we brought with our supplies and medications. Witty’s aunt was given a bottle and a short supply of formula.
After returning home, we soon established a means to provide more formula to Witty and created a program to help other children like her. We can’t thank our in-country partner, Tori Rasmussen, enough for his continued help. Unfortunately, infant formula was not available in this area of Tanzania. And Tori found creative ways to supply formula to Whitty and new program babies including traveling long distances to purchase it.
Witness, age 5
Witty, when we saw her again this year at clinic.
Since the program started, we have come to recognize children up to the age of three can become so weak and de-conditioned that they require short-term supplementation with formula to get stronger. Following this, they can be monitored closely and supported.
Was it luck or were we destined to come across little Witty and her aunt that day? Either way, we are both humbled and fortunate to be able to provide dozens of children this important supplement during the early stages of their lives helping both their physical and cognitive development at such a crucial time.
