"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." -- Psalm 126:3

Jenny hugs her yellow soccer ball to her chest under one of her family’s many lemon trees. The three-year-old is a bundle of energy. She doesn’t like dolls or dresses and only wants to play with her ball or grandmother’s hens. 

Jenny was born strong, grandma Cristina said. But her mother had to find work a 45-minute walk into the nearest urban area, and Jenny couldn’t get the nutrients she needed as an infant. She quickly became malnourished and started showing signs of anemia.

Cristina knew exactly what to do for her grandbaby. With the help of Feed My Starving Children’s partner in El Salvador, SAHF/FUSAL, she had nursed Jenny’s 9-year-old brother, Eduardo, back to health when he was a baby.

So Cristina embarked down the same road with Jenny, starting with MannaPack Potato-W, a special formula for babies.

As Jenny grew older, she switched to our regular MannaPack Rice formula, which her grandmother finds interesting ways to cook.

“She eats it fried, really warm and soft,” Cristina said. “If I have eggs, I mix the rice and make rice cakes out of the MannaPack.”

Now, Cristina describes Jennifer as smart and active. She is strong, just as she was when she was first born.

The family is preparing to send Jenny to school next year. She sings her numbers and counts past five.

With a loving family and proper nutrition, Jenny will be able to have dreams like her brother, who wants to be a doctor when he grows up.

“This food brought hope for our family,” Cristina said.

UPDATE: If you are moved by Jennifer's story, we have a unique opportunity for you. She is one of six children whose story is featured in our Celebration Campaign. You can make your gift-giving effortless and meaningful by choosing one or more of these FMSC gift cards to celebrate a wedding, birthday, etc. Just click HERE to get started!