Call us

1800 023 600

Welcome Back!

You have Gifts for Good in your basket.
Checkout Now
Continue shopping for more gifts

Welcome Back!

Last time you were here, you were looking to help vulnerable children and families. Your support can save and change lives.
Donate Now
Learn more about our appeals

When Siti* welcomed her seventh child, Amara*, her only daughter, she was filled with a mix of joy and deep fear. After suffering the heartbreaking loss of her stillborn baby before Amara, she feared history might repeat itself. Would Amara survive?

Siti and her husband, Agus*, live in a remote village on the island of Sumba, in East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. They grow a variety of crops – rice, mangoes, bananas, corn, cassava and taro root –to sustain their family. On good days, when the harvest is plentiful, there is a little extra to sell. Siti also weaves traditional cotton cloth to contribute to the family’s income.

From the start, Amara was a fragile baby, but her health began to deteriorate when Siti weaned her at six months and introduced solid foods, like rice and bananas. By the time Amara turned 10 months old, she was diagnosed with moderate acute malnutrition during a routine health check-up.

“Amara was so sick. She was having diarrhea. She had no energy. She was very thin. She was malnourished because I could not afford to buy good food for her,” Siti recalls. “I felt hopeless. At that time, I was hoping Amara would survive. Another child in the village had just died from malnutrition.”

After Amara’s diagnosis, a facilitator from ChildFund’s local partner organisation, Sumba Integrated Development, reached out to Siti. Through this partnership, Siti attended ChildFund’s responsive parenting classes. Here, she learned how to improve sanitation and hygiene at home, the vital importance of play and communication, and how to prepare nourishing meals from the foods grown in her own garden. Moringa leaves, which grow plentifully in the village, have become a key ingredient in her cooking.

Mum feeding her baby a nutritious meal to improve health and wellbeing,
Siti feeding her daugher, Amara, a nutrient-dense porridge dish with local ingredients.

Through the program, local facilitators also helped Siti navigate government services, allowing her to access a small stipend for nutritious food. Many families miss out on this support due to lack of awareness or difficulty with the paperwork. With this extra income, Siti prioritises buying fish and eggs for Amara when she can. Amara’s progress is closely monitored at the monthly ChildFund-supported parenting sessions. Although her weight has improved, she is still not fully recovered from the devastating effects of malnutrition.

“I want to continue to go to these parenting classes until Amara grows up,” says Siti. “Amara looks so much happier than my older children. I wish I had that knowledge earlier in life.”

Understanding Malnutrition and Undernutrition

The terms “malnutrition” and “undernutrition” are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different things. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malnutrition is an umbrella term that refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients. In fact, it encompasses both undernutrition and overnutrition. Here’s what each one means:

What is Malnutrition?

Malnutrition refers to a situation where a person’s diet is either lacking in essential nutrients, contains too much of certain foods, or is imbalanced in some way. It can result in both undernutrition (not getting enough nutrients) and overnutrition (getting too many nutrients, often in the form of excess calories).

What is Undernutrition?

Undernutrition is a type of malnutrition, specifically referring to a deficiency in calories, protein, and/or essential vitamins and minerals. People who are undernourished don’t get enough of the nutrients they need to stay healthy and grow properly.

There are a few key signs of undernutrition:

  • Stunting: When children don’t grow tall enough for their age due to a lack of nutrients.
  • Wasting: When someone’s weight is too low for their height, often due to severe lack of food or illness.
  • Underweight: When a person’s weight is too low for their age or height.
  • Micronutrient Deficiencies: A lack of essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A or iron, which can lead to serious health issues.

Undernutrition can result from various factors like poverty, limited access to healthy food or illness. It’s a global issue that affects millions, particularly in low-income countries.

Why It Matters

Undernutrition weakens the immune system, stunts growth and can lead to developmental delays in children. It also increases the risk of diseases and even death in severe cases. By understanding the difference between malnutrition and undernutrition, we can better address the causes and work toward a healthier future for everyone, including kids like Amara.

Nutrient-dense porridge to improve child malnutrition
A nutrient-dense dish of rice and banana to help young children like Amara grow healthy and strong.

The Broader Impact of Malnutrition on Children

Malnutrition doesn’t just stem from food shortages – it’s tied to deeper issues like poverty, conflict, climate change and inequality.  

  • Climate change is reducing crop yields, making food less accessible.
  • Conflict displaces families, disrupting food supplies and worsening malnutrition.  
  • Mass migration forces families into unstable living conditions with limited access to nutrition.  
  • Economic hardship puts vulnerable children, like Amara, at greater risk of malnutrition.  
  • Chronic undernutrition leads to stunting, impairing cognitive development and overall health.  
  • Malnourished children often suffer from conditions like anaemia and weakened immunity. You may notice they have bloated bellies – this is often a sign of protein deficiency, causing fluid retention.  

Preventing and Identifying Malnutrition

Early intervention is key to preventing long-term damage. Here’s how we can stop malnutrition before it starts:  

  • Growth monitoring to track weight, height and development.  
  • Vitamin supplements to prevent deficiencies.  
  • Deworming to improve nutrient absorption.
  • Vaccinations to protect children from infections that weaken their health.  
  • Prenatal check-ups to ensure mothers get proper nutrition, preventing low birthweight and undernutrition in newborns.
  • Infant and child feeding programs to educate parents on proper nutrition for young children.

These efforts don’t just help individual children – they contribute to reducing global malnutrition rates.  

How Fundraising and International Development Programs Help

Ending malnutrition requires a collective, global effort. Through fundraising and international development programs, we can expand access to nutrition programs, improve maternal health and support community-based interventions.

Global initiatives focus on:  

  • Severe malnutrition treatment: Expanding access to therapeutic feeding programs.
  • Food security projects: Supporting sustainable agriculture to prevent crop failures.
  • Education on malnutrition and development: Raising awareness of the long-term effects of poor nutrition.  

By addressing the root causes of malnutrition – poverty, food insecurity and inadequate healthcare – we can improve the lives of millions of malnourished children worldwide.  

How Many Children Are Malnourished in the World?

According to the latest malnutrition estimates, millions of children still suffer from undernutrition, requiring urgent action:  

  • Stunting (low height-for-age): In 2022, approximately 148.1 million children under five were stunted, representing 22.3% of this age group.  
  • Wasting (low weight-for-height): In the same year, about 45 million children under five were wasted, accounting for 6.8% of children in this age bracket.  
  • Overweight: Additionally, 37 million children under five were overweight in 2022, which is 5.6% of the global under-five population.  

These statistics underscore the urgent need for comprehensive nutrition programs, increased awareness, and advocacy to combat child malnutrition worldwide.  

By supporting nutrition programs, spreading awareness and advocating for policies that address malnutrition and development, we can create a world where no child suffers from the devastating effects of hunger.  

How You Can Help Malnourished Children

If you want to help prevent malnutrition and improve the lives of malnourished children, consider:  

Together, we can create change. By addressing malnutrition and undernutrition, we’re helping children like Amara build a strong foundation for their future. Every action we take, from supporting nutrition programs to raising awareness, plays a part in breaking the cycle of poverty and poor health.

With your support, more children will have access to the nourishment they need to grow healthier and more resilient.

Learn more about our food and nutrition programs.

*Name changed to protect individuals’ identity. 

Today, on World Teachers’ Day, we’re celebrating two passionate educators dedicated to raising awareness about online safety and helping students navigate the digital world.

At first glance, you might think Ms. Phương and Ms. Lia have little in common. They are separated geographically (Vietnam and Indonesia, respectively) and have grown up with different languages and cultures. However, they have common ground. Not only are they both teachers dedicated to supporting students’ growth and development, but today, they are recognised as leaders in online safety education.  

Ms. Phương and Ms. Lia knew as educators and role models in their communities, they could help empower students to navigate the digital landscape responsibly. Recognising the need to better connect with, manage, and teach their students in our increasingly technological world, they decided to attend ChildFund’s online safety training program, Swipe Safe.

Here’s what happened.

In Vietnam, an opportunity to make a difference

Ms. Phương, a young and dynamic teacher, joined Hợp Giang Secondary School, the largest in Cao Bằng province, with over 1,600 students, in 2020. Two years later, she found herself as the team leader for Swipe Safe, which had been introduced in secondary schools across Cao Bằng to help raise awareness about online safety and provide practical knowledge on how students, with the support of their teachers and families, can protect themselves from online risks like cyberbullying and inappropriate content.

Despite not knowing much about online safety herself, Ms Phương was excited to take up the challenge of upskilling and integrating a completely new curriculum and topic into her teaching toolkit. It was an opportunity to make a difference.

Ms. Phương’s digital journey began with Swipe Safe training workshops. Over two days, she learnt how to identify and use technology confidently, creatively and critically to meet the demands and challenges of living, learning and working in our digital world. With her professionalism, love of learning and dedication to her job, it surprised no one that Ms. Phương excelled in the training sessions.

She wasted no time integrating her new learnings into her classes, using various resources, including animated films and sample lessons provided by ChildFund, to help educate her students on the importance of online safety. Her innovative methods made her the first teacher in Cao Bằng province to implement the Swipe Safe program across all secondary schools.

Ms. Phương, teacher, Vietnam
Ms. Phương teaches students about online safety in primary school in Cao Bằng province.

Ms. Phương’s commitment to online safety extends beyond the classroom. She has effectively translated her sense of responsibility and openness to learning to students, parents and local authorities. This includes leading online safety teaching sessions for representatives from nine secondary schools, organised by the Cao Bằng Department of Education. Following their success, she was selected to conduct online safety training for teachers across the province.

Beyond her teaching duties, Ms. Phương acts as a counsellor for her school’s Young Bamboo group, which focuses on organising online safety activities for students. Under her guidance, students successfully integrated online safety messages into extracurricular activities, gaining valuable teamwork and public speaking skills. One notable event, held in collaboration with the People’s Police Academy, attracted over 1,000 attendees.

D., a year 8 student at Hợp Giang, shared her experience as a Young Bamboo leader, highlighting Ms. Phương’s support in planning and executing online safety activities.

“At the beginning of the school year, I was very worried because my friends and I didn’t know where to start when speaking about internet safety to more than 1,600 students,” says D.

“Ms. Phương helped our group a lot, from teaching us how to plan activities to organising those activities and integrating them into extracurricular events such as flag-raising ceremonies or group work in class. She also taught us teamwork and presentation skills. As a result, we have done very well in the communication campaigns about internet safety, which our group is responsible for.”

With the support and guidance of dedicated teachers like Ms. Phương’, Hợp Giang Secondary School has integrated online safety education into 500 lessons for 1,200 students in the last year alone. The school has also held four online safety workshops for 300 parents, students, and 69 teachers in the broader community.

In Indonesia, embracing change to bridge the gap between generations

Mrs. Lia has seen a lot of change as a high school Guidance Counsellor and teacher in Semarang, Indonesia. But no more so than navigating technology, which has reshaped the educational landscape and how teachers and students interact.

“The use of technology is unavoidable in education. Exams and assignments are now online. Educators must adapt whether we like it or not,” says Mrs. Lia.

Mrs. Lia vividly described the changing dynamics in education, emphasising the shift from traditional challenges of dealing with misbehaving or disengaged students to the contemporary struggle of addressing technology addiction, specifically related to gadgets and the internet. She highlighted the perceived gap between educators and students, attributing it to the slower adaptation of teachers to emerging technologies.

Mrs. Lia, teacher and Swipe Safe facilitator in Semarang City.
Mrs. Lia is now a proud “Swipe Safe facilitator” and leader for online safety education in Semarang City.

Despite her school taking proactive measures to address these issues, Mrs. Lia found the steps taken (the school implemented restrictions on mobile phone use during learning hours, with students required to store their phones in designated lockers) were limited and centred solely on restricting students’ access to gadgets and the internet. Teaching students’ self-protective behaviour, she believed, would be far more impactful than merely limiting their internet access. After all, she knew that there were many benefits of having access to online learning materials 

So, Mrs. Lia began researching new ways to address the challenges her school and students faced. Her quest led her to ChildFund’s Swipe Safe program.

In 2023, she participated in Swipe Safe online safety training, which gave her a deeper understanding of internet-related risks for children, including issues like online grooming and cyberbullying. It was a revelation that prompted Mrs. Lia to realise the close proximity of online safety risks to the lives of the children she mentored. She quickly began integrating the Swipe Safe learning material into her classroom, utilising visual aids like video and PowerPoint to create engaging and relatable content.

The enthusiasm of students has been remarkable. Mrs. Lia says her students have found topics highly relevant to their daily lives and voluntarily share their online experiences, bringing real-world relevance to the discussions. She hopes to continue to help students address issues related to internet safety for themselves and their friends – life skills for the digital age.

Empowering educators for lasting impact

While they don’t share a classroom, Ms. Phương and Ms. Lia both share an unwavering dedication to education. Their stories testify to the importance of providing teachers with the training and resources to help nurture children’s development and life skills so they become responsible citizens – online and offline.

Learn more about Swipe Safe and find out how you can help children worldwide stay safe online.