Healthy Foods for Stronger Children

In Lima, Peru, the Nuevo Milenio Lions stepped in to help when they learned that children in their community were silently suffering from the effects of extreme poverty and malnutrition.

A pre-school teacher in the town of Cielito Azul-Payet, where families have limited access to education and healthcare, informed the Lions about the prevalence of anemia in her young students, and asked if they might help getting nutritious food for them. Lions learned that about 40 children under age three were anemic, a disease of low-iron blood generally caused by hunger and malnutrition.

Soon after, the club began a service project, “Healthy Breakfasts for Children from PRONOEI (the program for children 0-3),” providing nutritious food so the children could maintain a balanced diet. Under the leadership of their club president, they worked with the Educational Management Unit of North Lima (UGEL), nutritionists, and the association of teachers and parents to coordinate and organize the project. With the help of community members and PRONOEI, they were able to distribute food and healthy breakfasts three times a week.

“The parents actively worked on preparing the breakfasts and also received nutritional knowledge that they used at home, which helped the project to be successful,” said Lion Beatriz Untiveros.

Nine months after the program began, the children’s blood tests showed overwhelmingly positive results. Lions learned that 98% of the children improved their health and were no longer anemic.

The club’s project has been ongoing for two years and is expected to continue, with children now receiving a healthy breakfast every day.

“We hope it continues,” said Untiveros. “But we also hope that parents acquire nutritional knowledge and [that] through productive workshops they can become self-sufficient in food.”

The Nuevo Lions received a 2023-2024 Kindness Matters Service Award given annually to select Lions and Leo clubs, and their dedication attracted the attention of community members, local media, schools and teachers. In addition, Untiveros said, families recognized how Lions are caring for their community.