A name for the Nutritional Training Center

A name for the Nutrition Training Center

The Nutritional Training Center has been running for a week now. This has been an incredibly challenging week in figuring out all the ins and outs of what it takes to run a home with mothers and their children. There is a lot involved from detailed recording of what a child eats, to determining the best coarse of care. The challenges go beyond that into communicating the importance of such detailed planning in a way that makes sense. Communication and education are also major factors, as culture and norms are being challenged in many areas. There are also medical concerns, social aspects, and spiritual components.

We have decided to call the center Hogar Rosalinda. This name has deep significance to myself, and the ministry. Rosalinda was a precious baby girl who entered our home at 11 months. She had a number of extreme allergies that let to severe malnutrition and frequent illness. Her family cherished her, but they were very poor and did not understand her severe allergies or needs. She would nearly die and be hospitalized because her mother would feed her bread. The doctor would ask why she gave her bread, and didn't she know that with her allergy this would make her very sick? She would simply reply that she was crying because she was hungry, so she gave her something to eat. They cared for her so much that when they thought the hospital would remove her because of her medical state, they stole her from the hospital. PGN went to remove her from her town, the men of the town came out with machetes and said “you can't take our child”. She again grew severely ill, and eventually, her mother saw that she was dying and surrendered her to PGN. They truly loved her, they just didn't know how to care for her.  

Rosalinda was 9lbs when she entered our home. We were told she had a heart condition, severe brain damage, and severe malnutrition. We soon learned that she did not have any sort of brain damage at all, but was in fact one of the most intelligent babies her age we had ever seen. She knew what she wanted and was stubborn as anything. She was beautiful, and perfect. I loved her so much. We all did. She loved sitting on the table with us after supper. She didn't have the energy to crawl, or lift her head for long, but she wanted to move, so she would pull herself along on her belly inch by inch into the next room. You always had to be careful because this tiny baby would just be anywhere moving on the floor following after an oblivious Olimpia who would scoot in circles around her. Rosalinda could also be quite the rascal and could challenge patience because she had so much personality.

Rosalinda was very slow to gain any weight. She lived with us for a year as we got her weight up some, but although she gained, it was not nearly enough. The nutritionist we took her to seemed stumped and could only suggest more and more formula until she drank 48oz a day. Meanwhile her mom, who loved her deeply, kept up with every visit, even though it meant hours on the bus, for her just to spend two hours with her daughter.

Eventually the decision was made that Rosalind was gaining too slowly and despite our close work with the nutritionist and doctor, it would be best to place her in a local malnutrition center. This center was well known and highly regarded. However, shortly after we realized the challenges of working with malnutrition centers. We would try and visit but time after time the standards for visits would have change, or we would even be turned away. She was still under our legal care, yet tests would be done without ever notifying us, and we would face hostility in trying to see her or figuring out why these test were being done. Eventually her legal placement was changed from our home, and visits slowly stopped. 

Last year, around May, we got wind that Rosalind had been returned home to her family some time earlier. She had lost weight again, and grown sick with the same respiratory infections and chronic diarrhea which had always plagued her. Although she was very sick her family feared removal again so they did not seek help, and Rosalinda died. We didn't know until 3 weeks after her funeral.
Rosalinda was a beautiful little girl who could have lived.  Her family loved her and wanted her, but didn't understand her care. We learned first hand how much separation there is between malnutrition centers and communication with families. Little education is given, and less training. This sets the child up for failure when they return home to an environment that is unsafe for them, and led to their malnutrition in the first place. 

This home is named in memory of a little girl who was precious in the sight of God, her family, and us. I hope to honor God by loving and caring for these children that they may one day have a life, and that their mothers may not come to know the loss Rosalinda's mother knew.

Family communication and empowerment was the main drive in this new nutrition center. We could have taken more children in if we only brought the kids. But the mothers who come here will leave with a healthier child, and the empowerment to change their environment. God is also using this home as a way to reach into the hearts of the mothers who come.

My prayer is that every child who comes leaves healthier, and every mother who comes leaves knowing she is loved by God and us. May God be glorified by every life that enters Hogar Rosalinda.