No child is too far to reach
How care reached a child in need
Every day is a challenge for Lai Usman and her family of eight. A pile of firewood - their only income source - waits under the sun outside their home. Each sack sells for just Php 35—barely enough to feed her husband and six children.
Abdullah, the youngest of Lai’s children, was only 7 months old when he was diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition (SAM). He is one of the many malnourished children in the Municipality of Piagapo. Like many children living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, he was weak and underweight.
Lai remembers those difficult early months: how she would cradle Abdullah, unsure whether he would survive the night. But as the days turned into months, with Lai’s perseverance and the help of dedicated health workers, Abdullah slowly began to gain weight.
UNICEF, with funding from the European Union, is working closely with the Provincial Health Office and the Integrated Provincial Health Office in Lanao del Sur to strengthen the capacity of local health workers, enabling them to provide adequate care to malnourished children, especially those in hard-to-reach areas.
Since 2023, Muhammad and other barangay health workers from Barangay Aposong have been regularly visiting Abdullah’s home. With each visit, Muhammad carefully monitors Abdullah's health and provides life-saving interventions, including Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food sachets and counselling on nutrition, that have helped Abdullah become healthier.
Now 2 years old, Abdullah is recovering thanks to the dedication of community health workers and a mother who never gave up. His story shows what is possible when care reaches even the hardest-to-reach.
ABOUT THE EUROPEAN UNION-UNICEF PROJECT
With funding from the European Union, UNICEF is working with key agencies and ministries in the BARMM to strengthen community resilience, increase coverage of essential services, and promote child-friendly family and community behaviours in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte and Bukidnon. The project supports maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health, nutrition, water, and sanitation services; early childhood education and basic education services; child protection/social welfare systems; and child-friendly provincial and municipal planning and investment for children’s rights and reduced disaster risks.
UNICEF helps deliver integrated immunisation and nutrition services to children under five while building youth-friendly health services and promoting healthy behaviours to support improved health outcomes. This project is part of the European Union’s long-term support to building lasting peace and promoting inclusive development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
