Why We Love Plumpy’Nut

One of the children of Bolingo Village eating a sachet of Plumpy’Nut, August 2021

One of Global Orphan Foundation’s first programs was a nutrition program that we executed in Congolese orphanages. Through this program, we met Plumpy’Nut and all of its life-saving capabilities.

When we first started working in Congolese orphanages, the mortality rate for children under 2 was 50%. You read that correctly.  This statistic was a reality for many reasons; lack of clean water, lack of nurture, lack of sanitation, and of course, malnutrition. This was a heartbreaking statistic to accept and one of the main reasons we began intervention. That's where Plumpy'Nut came in.  Every child who entered our program graduated alive and at a healthy weight. 

So, what is this magical nutritional supplement? Plumpy'Nut is a nutrient-dense peanut butter-like paste, categorized as a Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, meaning it's safe to feed to children suffering from malnutrition.  You see, malnutrition is a tricky beast to tackle.  Unfortunately, you can't just begin providing burgers and mac' n cheese to a malnourished child. Doing so could cause the body's delicate electrolyte balance to change too quickly, leading to seizures, heart failure, comas, or even death. This reality is why therapeutic foods like Plumpy'Nut exist. Not to mention, it is easy to use and manage, making it an outpatient option. For some children, it's the only option as they can't afford to receive treatment at a hospital. 

Plumpy'Nut continues to be a game-changer for us in our programming.  At the beginning of this year, we got a call from social services saying that a sibling group of three needed a forever home.  Upon arriving at Bolingo Village, they received their routine medical exam. Our nurse noticed the youngest sibling had a mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) score in the red zone, indicating severe acute malnutrition. She was 2-years-old, couldn't speak or walk, and appeared to have slow reactions to her surroundings. However, after a couple of months following the appropriate dosage amount each day, she has safely gained weight. Her MUAC score is in the green, and we've noticed her cognitive function improve drastically.  Granted, she is crying a lot more because she's actually having appropriate reactions that an average child should have. But, honestly, that's music to our ears.  This supplement has saved this little girl from the long-term effects of malnutrition. This is why we LOVE Plumpy'Nut.