In a remote Ugandan village, their mother died in childbirth. Their alcoholic father was often gone for weeks.

At 11, Brian became the primary caretaker of his siblings: Joseph; 7, Joan; 5, and Emmanuel; 2. Desperate to provide for them, he begged for food in a nearby village.

When Brian’s pleading resulted in no food, none of them ate. They slept on the dirt floor with empty stomachs. Every day was a struggle to survive.

Little Emmanuel, called Emma, weighed barely nine pounds.

His tummy was so swollen from malnutrition that his tiny legs struggled to support him. He didn’t have strength to move.

One day a woman, Madrine, noticed the children. She asked an FMSC food partner, Rakai Orphans Development Initiative (RODI), for help.

“There is a family where a child is about to die,” she told RODI.

“When we found him, Emmanuel couldn’t walk and wouldn’t even talk,” said Richard Mutaawe, Co-Founder of RODI. “He literally didn’t have any energy. He was just bones.”

RODI immediately gave the kids MannaPack Rice. “We knew only FMSC food could save this family,” they said.

After one year of eating nutritious food every day, Emmanuel weighs 22 pounds. He smiles joyfully and is walking!
“Now we can all see hope,” says RODI.

“Before we came here, Emma was dying. He would spend days without eating. FMSC food was truly manna from heaven. It totally changed their lives.”

Eleven-year-old Brian cooks the MannaPack for his young siblings over an open fire. He makes sure they wash their hands and leads a prayer before they eat.

Brian says, “Thank you so much for bringing us this food.”

Through RODI’s support, the oldest children now attend school.

“Before this food, they couldn’t find a way out of their situation. Now they have hope for tomorrow,”said Johnson Lwondo, Co-Founder of RODI.

Watch their amazing story! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DphtI9QoEH0&feature=youtu.be

Through your generosity we are able to save the lives of children just like Emma. We are honored to fight hunger with you.