Tobenson's Story

For the month of September, we decided to do something a little different. This month we decided to tell real stories about real people whose lives have been deeply affected by malnutrition. We'll be sharing one story each week during the month of September leading up to National Malnutrition Awareness Week (September 24-28). We hope that you'll follow along with us as we tell these stories. We hope these stories will grip your hearts and lead you to action. Malnutrition never affects just one person, it affects communities. With your help, we could be the generation that sees the end of malnutrition forever.

Tobenson’s Story

Tobenson was found by one of our health agents sitting alone, in the dirt outside his home. Upon first glance, Tobenson’s swollen belly showed signs of worms; his brittle hair and yellow eyes told the story of malnutrition. The health agent knocked on the door but found no one. He waited until finally, a woman, who looked to be in her sixties, shuffled exhaustedly up to the house. That woman was Tobenson’s grandmother.

At first, it may seem that Tobenson’s grandmother did not care about him – but the truth is the exact opposite. She had been away working under the hot Haitian sun to gather beans to sell the next day in order to be able to buy food for Tobenson. Not wanting to have him out all day in the sun, Tobenson’s grandmother made the difficult decision to go to work, leaving Tobenson behind. After speaking with our health agent, she agreed to bring Tobenson to the malnutrition center the next day. Tobenson proved to be severely malnourished. As a result, we thought it best for him stay at the center to get constant medical care. With each nutritious and therapeutic meal, Tobenson’s smile slowly emerged as his body received what it needed to function the way any healthy child’s would. Poverty is forcing parents and grandparents all over Haiti to make unimaginable decisions as they try to do what is best for the child in their care. 

At Potter and Clay, our goal is to cover each zone of our community through the help of our health agents. We want to identify these children before it’s too late. When you partner with Potter & Clay Ministries as a monthly donor, you are enabling our team to do just that. Join us in fighting for children and caregivers all over Northwest Haiti today. 

If you'd like to donate to Potter and Clay Ministries and join in the fight to end malnutrition forever, click below.