The Negrense Volunteers for Change kicked off a year-long MingoMeals Nutrition Program supported by the Negros Occidental provincial government for 150 stunted children from Cadiz, La Carlota and San Carlos cities Monday morning, Feb. 17.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson turned over the symbolic P4 million check for the program and a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the mayors of the cities involved at rites in Cadiz City.
Present were Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante, San Carlos Mayor Renato Gustilo and Dr. Rommel Sabig, City Health Officer of La Carlota representing Mayor Rex Jalandoon
Inspired by the protocols of countries like Peru, Chile and Indonesia who successfully combatted malnutrition, the NVC protocol does not stop with merely feeding the stunted kids Mingo meals daily for a year, Millie Kilayko, NVC president, said.
The siblings of the 150 children will also be given Mingo meals sponsored by the Mikel Lovina Jamborun.
Isabel Lovina (center) turns over to Gov. Eugenio Lacson a giant symbol of Mingo to represent the 90,000 Mingo Meals donated to NVC Foundation to support the nutrition program sponsored by the Negros Occidental provincial government as NVC President Millie Kilayko looks on.*
Mingo Meals are nutritious instant complementary food made from locally sourced rice, mongo (mung beans), and malunggay (moringa).
Their families will also receive food packs as a reward for attendance of the required assemblies where medical consultation is given to the children, Kilayko said.
“The mothers will undergo wellness counseling sessions and classes on nutrition, hygiene and childcare. The mothers will also be divided into small clusters under peer coaches who will conduct group meetings and check on their households,” she added.
For food sustainability, the families will be provided with opportunities to grow various forms of food sources to ensure that families will continue to feed their families properly even after the NVC program ends, she said.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson witnessed the signing of the MOU between NVC Foundation represented by its President Millie Kilayko, and San Carlos Mayor Renato Gustilo, Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante and La Carlota City Health Officer Dr Rommel Sabig (l-r).*
The Aurelio B. Montinola Sr. Foundation also turned over chicken starter kits to two families enrolled in the NVC nutrition program.
Kilayko thanked the governor and his team for the trust and the opportunity to help the 150 stunted children.
“In 2014 NVC Foundation was awarded by the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental the Outstanding Negrense Award, the first organization to be given such. We promised then that we will always strive to serve the province we are named after. Today the promise still holds,” Kilayko told the governor.*