What’s in our March 2021 Newsletter: Notes from the Field, No Longer Going to Bed on an Empty Stomach ~ Health Committee Report ~ P4P Volunteer Angie Smith ~ Spring Fundraiser ~ A Good Match

If you want to save the world, just start by saving one kid. ~General Colin Powell

Notes from the Field ~ No Longer Going to Bed on an Empty Stomach 

By Nereah Obura, P4P Kenya Program Coordinator

Dear P4P Friend,

“I will forever be grateful for the monthly supply of food that we are given by P4P,” Ruth Anyango told me. “For the longest time that I can remember, I have not bought cooking oil or soap.  The few kilos of maize and beans that P4P gave us goes a long way to ensure that my family does not sleep on empty stomachs.’’

Not only does Ruth’s family struggle to have enough to eat, her youngest daughter, Mary Aoko, was struggling with malnutrition.

When she was eight months old, Ruth enrolled Mary in P4P’s Power of Milk nutrition program at the Ogada Clinic hoping desperately to save her life. 

In June 2020, almost one year after enrolment into the program, Mary was still not thriving. This prompted Charles Atha, P4P’s Kenya nutrition assistant, to pay a home visit and try to determine what else might be affecting Mary’s development. 

Nothing was amiss at the family home so Mary’s parents took her to Ogada Clinic. The medical staff determined she had underlying health problems and she has been in treatment ever since. Additionally, her family has been added to the list of those receiving COVID 19 relief food baskets.  

Charles reports that these interventions have brought about a lot of change in Mary’s life. Her mother, Ruth, notes that adding an egg to Mary’s porridge every day made a big difference in her development. 

Luckily, this family has a hatching hen so they are able to provide this important supplement every day. Mary graduated from our Power of Milk Program last week.

Health Update 
by Angie Smith, Health Committee Volunteer

Since our last update, the weekly Power of Milk (POM) meetings at the local clinic in Kopanga, Kenya, have resumed.  Approximately 30 children who are currently malnourished or at risk of malnourishment are enrolled in this program at any given time. Families come to the program from all over the region, including some who journey from neighboring Tanzania.

The children are weighed, measured and their caregivers receive education on a different health topic each week. So far, 162 children have graduated from the program. 

During the weekly education sessions, breastfeeding and overall infant nutrition are discussed. Charles Atha, our Kenya coordinator who oversees the POM program, noted that several mothers who were previously struggling to breastfeed started producing more milk after receiving supplemental food baskets from P4P.

With this in mind, the Health Committee decided to expand breastfeeding and prenatal nutrition education. We enlisted the help of a lactation specialist in the states and hope to offer more comprehensive information and guidance for pregnant and nursing mothers. To date, we have distributed 786 emergency food baskets and 66 hand washing stations!

The Health Committee appreciates our partners in Kenya and our stateside volunteers, staff and all of you who support P4P’s programs. Without you, we would not be able to provide this level of assistance. As they say in Kenya, “Asante Sana!”

World Traveler and Philanthropist Brings Coveted Skill to P4P
By Reneé Sande

Angie Smith has been around the world: India, Ghana, Guatemala, Peru and Morocco, to name a few of the countries she has visited. In 2019, she added Kenya to her list.

For 12 years, Angie worked as a medical assistant for Kaiser Permanente, often volunteering to travel overseas and provide medical care and health education.

“We usually set up mobile clinics and people would come from miles away,” Angie says.

For the past 10 years, she has worked in Providence Health Care’s quality department as a data analyst. Lucky for P4P, three years ago, Angie found she had some room in her life, so she looked for volunteer opportunities. What she found was that P4P needed a data analyst.
 
“It seemed like destiny. Although I did start out just crunching data for the health committee, I quickly moved into the committee chair position, then more recently was asked to serve on the Board.” 

Born in Spokane, Angie has a Bachelor of Science in biology and master's in health policy and administration from WSU. She is currently working toward a Bachelor of Science in nursing.

When not working, studying or volunteering, Angie enjoys reading autobiographies from crass comedians and looking at things under her microscope, “…like bug parts, chicken poop and anything else most people find gross,” she laughs.

“Also, I’m trying very hard to enjoy skiing because my partner Tyler does, but it's not going very well.” 

While Angie has no idea what 2021 will look like for her, she’s focusing on taking it one day at a time, filling up her life with the things that matter most to her. Thankfully one of those things is P4P.

“My favorite thing about P4P is how a small group of people saw a need, then actually put a plan into action. I also really respect P4P’s mission and values, especially the value of sustainability.”

Spring Fundraiser

As the newsletter goes to press, the Fundraising Committee and P4P staff are flexing their creative muscles looking for the perfect spring fundraiser. Normally we would be gathering at the Civic Theatre for an evening of entertainment, friendship and fund raising, but COVID cancelled that possibility last year and, unfortunately, this year as well. Stay tuned – something fun is coming. We promise.

A Good Match

Does your employer offer corporate matching gifts? It’s worth finding out because you could literally double your charitable donations. 

This is how it works: you donate $50 to a charity (and we hope you choose Partnering for Progress), and your employer financially matches that donation from its own coffers. Companies usually match donations at a 1:1 ratio, but some will match at 2:1, 3:1 or even 4:1. 

Why do companies match donations? Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is important to thousands of businesses, small and huge, across the country. CSR highlights an organization’s philanthropic involvement and helps them build relationships with charities and within community. Plus, matching gifts are an easy, structured way for them to support good work and their commitment to non-profit causes.  

Your manager, human resources or corporate giving department will be able to tell you if they have a matching gifts program and will help you sign up.