With a minimum wage in Brazil of just over C$200 a month, even those fortunate enough to have steady work struggle to feed their families and food security remains a serious problem in the community.
Since 2003 we have been providing extra nutritional support for approximately 120 children a week. Teams of mothers take care of the purchasing, preparation, serving and cleaning up. The children receive a bowl of soup three times a week, hot cereal once a week and a fruit smoothie and biscuit on Saturday mornings.
Research indicates that each year more than 3.5 million children under the age of five die from diarrhoea and acute respiratory tract infection, the vast majority of them in developing countries. Hand washing is the first line of defence against these infections and can be implemented at a fraction of the cost of other medical interventions. Many homes in the community lack indoor plumbing and intestinal infections among children are a common and chronic problem. In 2007 we installed a row of basins in the room adjacent to the soup kitchen and began our Clean Hands initiative.
With a minimum wage in Brazil of just over C$200 a month, even those fortunate enough to have steady work struggle to feed their families and food security remains a serious problem in the community.
