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Hazidatou’s daughter died last year and now she cares for her 7 orphaned grandchildren, including two 18-month-old twins. She has been gathering the leaves of the Garbey tree and boiling them to try to fill the kids’ stomachs. “The situation is very hard because there is no food. This year the harvests have not been good, and we don't have any food here. We don't have men here to work. We are mostly women and we don't have money to buy food,” said Hazidatou.
She went to the nutritional screening center that Mercy Corps supports and the twins, Hussan and Hussaina, were diagnosed as being severely malnourished. Hazidatou was referred to the government health center to get the children further treatment and rations of Plumpy'nut, a therapeutic food. “We walked over two hours to come here for help. It was very difficult. It is very hot, and I have only my eldest granddaughter to help carry the children. But we have to be patient.”
When Hazidatou and her grandchildren arrived, the health center said they had no rations and did not know when they would receive them. Upon hearing this,Hazidatou said, "They told me they don't have any food here to give my babies, but when the food comes, I will be back for it." When the local Mercy Corps team heard this, they immediately mobilized to acquire and distribute Plumpy'nut (a special food for malnourished children) to the referral government health centers. Mercy Corps purchased therapeutic food immediately, and distributed rations to 39 health centers in the target region. Hazidatou's grandchildren are now able to eat because of Mercy Corps response to the food crisis, and more parents and grandparents like her are receiving life-saving income through Mercy Corps cash-for-work programs, supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, so they can continue to buy more food for their families.
Photo credit: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps
Niger Hazidatou and her grandchildren wait their turn at a Mercy Corps nutritional screening center in Filingue. Due to the food shortages, the nutritional screening centers have experienced a massive increase in patients. The lines of mothers with their babies, seeking medical assistance and screening of their children for malnutrition stretch out beyond the compound grounds. Children who are identified as being malnourished are referred to the medical clinic for treatment.
Photo credit: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps
A Mercy Corps nutrition specialist examines Hazidatou’s grandchild by measuring his arm circumference. The 19-month of child was diagnosed as severely malnourished. The Tillaberi region of Niger is the hardest-hit by the drought and food crisis and has the country’s highest rate of acute malnutrition (14 percent, with children under age 5 are affected most), and the situation is growing more serious with each day. Late rains and insect damage at the end of 2011 left between 70 and 100 percent of farmers with no crops to harvest. With no stored crops and little grazing for weakened livestock, few people have adequate food. Mercy Corps is supporting Nutritional Screening Centers throughout the Tillaberi region and is supporting the distribution of PlumpyNut at government Health Centers.
Photo credit: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps
Niger Hazidatou and three of her seven grandchildren wait outside a Mercy Corps nutritional screening center. The bowl in front of them is filled with Garbey tree leaves, which Hazidatou has been feeding to her grandchildren to fill their stomachs.
