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SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated $5 million to a nonprofit organization that makes ready-to-use foods to treat malnutrition in children and mothers.
Edesia Nutrition, the nonprofit organization, makes foods like Plumpy'Nut, according to a release from the Church of Jesus Christ. It is a lifesaving fortified peanut butter made from vitamins, minerals, milk powder and other ingredients.
"Children on a Plumpy'Nut regimen add pounds rapidly, often going from a near-death state to relative health in a month," The New York Times reported in 2010, five years after it was widely distributed. "In the world of humanitarian aid, where progress is usually measured in subtle increments of misery, the new product offers a rare satisfaction: swift, visible, fantastic efficacy."
Three million children die from malnutrition every year, said the release.
"The fact is that 100% of those deaths are preventable," said founder and CEO of Edesia Nutrition Navyn Salem in the release. "With the incredible generosity of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we can channel vital resources directly to our PlumpyField partners on the ground. This donation will empower local producers to deliver lifesaving nutrition where it's needed most, giving children and mothers the chance to not only survive but thrive."
"Through our collaboration, Edesia can help millions of children through their lifesaving foods get the critical nutrition they need to grow and thrive. Nutrition is one of four pillars of the church's global initiative for the well-being of women and children," said Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson. "When you bless women and children, you invest in the future."
The Church of Jesus Christ's donation will benefit locales where Plumpy'Nut is needed, including Burkina Faso, Haiti, India, Ethiopia, Niger, Sudan, Nigeria and Madagascar. The organization works has local partnerships to encourage long-term economic development and sustainability.
This donation is part of a global initiative led by the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ. The initiative is geared toward improving the health and well-being of women and children across the world.
The Church of Jesus Christ donated $55.8 million in June as part of the initiative. The donation went to several organizations which do work aligned with aims of the initiative including CARE International, Catholic Relief Services, Save the Children, The Hunger Project, iDE and others.
The donation will reach 12 million kids under 5 and 2.7 million expectant and new mothers in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Zambia.
