Un Kilo de Ayuda Will Use Church Donation to Help Nourish 23,000 Children in Mexican States 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Un Kilo de Ayuda are working together to combat child malnutrition in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Mexico.

Through a donation from the Church of Jesus Christ, the nonprofit Un Kilo de Ayuda will deliver nutritional packages focused on optimal nutrition and neurodevelopment for children under the age of five in marginalized rural communities.

This project will benefit more than 43,000 people, including 23,000 children and 20,000 mothers or primary caregivers.

Educational materials on early nutrition, iron intake and play activities will also be distributed to primary caregivers. Additionally, Un Kilo de Ayuda's Early Childhood Development Centers will receive equipment to measure capillary hemoglobin to detect anemia. According to National Institute of Statistics and Geography data, 33.7% of children in Chiapas, Oaxaca and Mexico suffer from malnutrition and anemia.

Recently, the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced an initiative to improve access to nutrition for women and children around the world.

“Every time we do something to bring relief to others — whether it’s temporal or spiritual — we are bringing them closer to Jesus Christ, and we will be blessed as we find our relief in Him,” said Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson. “We are grateful for the daily opportunities God gives us to love our neighbors.”

The effects of malnutrition are especially profound for young children, as their bodies are rapidly growing during their first five years. Malnutrition during this critical period can have long-lasting and irreversible consequences, such as reduced brain development, a weakened immune system and an increased risk of illnesses later in life.