wfn.org | Lutherans Feed Kenyan Children

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE - NEWSBRIEF

April 7, 1997

TOO HUNGRY TO LEARN

Staying healthy and getting an education are two big
challenges for more than 6,000 children of Mukuru Kayaba, one
of the slums of Nairobi, Kenya.  Sister Mary Killeen, a
Lutheran World Relief (LWR) partner in Nairobi, told Na Eng,
LWR intern, about the early years of a health and education
project. Scabies, diarrhea, ringworm and infection proved
constant plagues, Killeen said.  Malnutrition burdened
educational efforts, while funding remained scarce.  Killeen
spoke with a local benefactor about the difficulties.  "Let's
try feeding one school first and see what happens," they
decided.  The results proved astonishing, Killeen said.  "It
was expensive, but it made such a huge difference to their
learning ability and to their overall health," she said.  "I
had thought there were many health problems.  I was
astonished at the difference once they were fed.  Most of
their problems weren't health problems; they were nutrition
problems.  Their general health changed completely once they
were eating," she said.  With a balanced diet, the children
blossomed.  Killeen explained, "The children were too hungry
to learn."  Lutheran World Relief is the overseas relief and
development arm of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html