Poor nutrition, especially in the first 1,000 days, causes irreversible damage to the brain and the body. This will not only severely affect a child’s ability to do well in school, it will also continue to negatively affect his or her chance of being a productive adult in the future.

Malnutrition continues to be widespread in the Philippines. According to a recent World Bank report, one in three children (29%) under five-years-old was reported as stunted or being small in size for their age. The Philippines is ranked fifth among countries in the East Asia and Pacific region with the highest prevalence of stunting and it is among the 10 countries in the world with the highest number of stunted children.

According to the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition, 36 provinces in the country are priority areas due to their high prevalence of malnutrition. One of these provinces is Camarines Sur. PSFI aims to combat this in 13 barangays in the municipalities of Pasacao and Bombon through its Roots to Shoots (RTS) program.

RTS brings together elements of health and nutrition, food security and livelihood, water, sanitation and hygiene in a community-based approach to ensure that the next generation is given their best chance to survive, thrive and grow to be responsible and productive members of society. All components include activities that aim to build the capacity of mothers, caregivers, health and nutrition workers, farmers and the broader community to ensure the proper health and nutrition of very young children in the area.

Your support will help ensure that the children in these areas are given their best chance to thrive by ensuring that their parents, caregivers, and the rest of their communities are educated on proper health and nutrition best practices and capacitated with livelihood upskilling.