She's Fighting Malnutrition in Africa

Navyn Salem of Barrington is well-known locally for fighting childhood hunger with Plumpy Nut, a peanut-based product made by Edesia in Providence.

The word is spreading farther and wider about the company she founded without any manufacturing or nutrition experience. Watch a video story on Boston's WCVB.com on her and her company’s products. It’s a heart-rending story for the holidays.

And read an email sent out by Salem last week to her friends and family:

“Holidays are a time for celebrating and being thankful for all of the blessings we have in our lives. With turmoil as far away as the Middle East, and as close to home as Hurricane Sandy, we are reminded to count every single one.

Giving is my favorite part of the holidays. It is often said that money can’t buy happiness, but I believe money can buy happiness, if you spend it on someone else. The power to help others is one of the greatest gifts we hold in our hands.

At Edesia, $50 = enough Plumpy’Nut to reverse the damaging effects of severe acute malnutrition for one child. So the question is: How many lives do we want to save?  

Since our factory opened in 2010, we have treated and prevented malnutrition for over 1,000,000 children all over the world. The magnitude of this number is difficult for me to comprehend. As I reflect on the year wrapping up, I think not of a million, but of a few faces from my travels this year. The baby who could not hold up his head without my help. The mother who begged me to take her daughter so she would have a chance at survival. And the little boy who had suffered irreversible mental and physical impairment due to severe malnutrition. 

For some, it's too late — a challenge to do better next year. And for those children and their mothers we reached in time, I think how fortunate I was to have witnessed so much hope and change.

Thank you to those who have already donated and thank you to those who donate every time I ask. I feel proud to stand with you to help others both near and far, so that more of us in the world have the opportunity to count life's many blessings. 

Warmest wishes for this holiday season and onwards to an even brighter twenty thirteen.”

Navyn Salem, Executive Director