A donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Un Kilo de Ayuda will help improve child malnutrition in three Mexican states.
Un Kilo de Ayuda — which means “a kilo of help” is a nonprofit organization that focuses on combating child nutrition and promoting the physical, cognitive and emotional development of children under 5 so they can reach their full potential.
Because of the Church’s contribution, the organization is delivering protein-fortified food packages to children in several states in Mexico — Chiapas, Oaxaca and the state of Mexico — where an estimated 33.7% of children suffer from malnutrition and anemia.
Educational materials will also be provided for parents or primary caregivers on early brain stimulation, proper nutrition, iron intake and games. Early childhood development centers are also receiving equipment to measure blood and check for anemia.

This initiative will benefit more than 43,000 people, explained the Church’s Mexico Newsroom, including 23,000 children under 5 years of age and 20,000 mothers or primary caregivers.
The Church has also donated nutritional packages, educational materials and medical supplies to Un Kilo de Ayuda in the past.
Healthy nutrition is essential to proper brain, body and immune system development for infants and young children. If a child does not receive proper nutrition during this time, the child’s brain and body will not develop as they should.
The effort to improve the nutrition and well-being of these children is inline with the Church’s global initiative for women and children, led by the Relief Society.
Using local stakes and networks of the Church and in collaboration with other organizations, the global initiative seeks to improve the health and well being of children under 5 and their mothers through maternal and newborn care, child nutrition efforts, immunizations and education worldwide.
The Church has developed several guides that offer ideas and information for parents and leaders about malnutrition and healthy practices. Those can be found at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/serve/caring/child-nutrition.
