Virtually every country in the world has hungry children, but Nourish the Children VitaMeal donations are delivered to places where children need it most.  For more information on the delivery of VitaMeal you can read our Smiles Reports.

Adeng's Journey

Adeng Gupu, an 11-year old from China, lost her parents at a young age and has had a tough upbringing. Her main source of food was potatoes, but when VitaMeal was introduced to Adeng’s school, she become much taller and stronger. She and her sister call it “Bean Meal”. Thanks to Nourish the Children, children all over the world are getting the nutrients they need to grow strong.

From Malnourishment to Health: Patrick's Journey

Patrick Jonathan is 4 years old. At age 2, Patrick lost both of his parents to HIV/AIDS. He now stays with his grandmother, who is very old and has not been able to support Patrick and his basic needs. Patrick started showing signs of severe malnourishment in 2012, and, concerned for his wellbeing, his grandmother brought him to a child care center in Ngongoti. Through the Joyce Banda Foundation, Patrick was able to receive VitaMeal, a vitamin dense food crafted by Nu Skin nutritional scientists to improve the health of malnourished children and to encourage healthy weight gain. These meals are purchased and donated through Nu Skin sales leaders, customers, and employees through the Nourish the Children initiative started back in 2002.

Today, Patrick’s conditions have been drastically improved. Thanks to VitaMeal, he is no longer showing signs of severe malnourishment. He is happier, more energetic and is excelling well in school. VitaMeal has not only helped improve Patrick’s conditions, but it has also helped lighten his grandmother’s load, knowing that her grandson is being fed every day with vitamin enriched food. With the help of Nu Skin and the Joyce Banda Foundation, Patrick’s life has been changed, and with your support, other children from around the world will continue to be positively affected by VitaMeal. 

Energy to Pursue Her Dreams

Sarah has been enrolled in Convoy of Hope’s Children’s Feeding program since she was just four years old. Her father died when she was young and her mother was too young to care for her. Unable to provide the support that she needed, Sarah’s grandmother placed her in an orphanage where she received VitaMeal as one of her meals. Now Sarah is 13 and is getting ready to go into the 7th grade. When she’s not participating in school activities, she’s usually drawing. Sarah hopes to become an artist one day, and because of VitaMeal, she has the energy to pursue that dream.  

Sarah is just one of the many children who receive VitaMeal thanks to those who purchase and donate to the Nourish the Children initiative. Many of these kids live in areas with limited access to clean water and health services, and their families rely on these meals that the children receive each day. When asked how she feels now, Sarah says, “I feel good! I eat two to three times a day and have energy to play. Thank you for your support.” Nourish the Children is committed to helping families with the most need, and it is all made possible by individuals who donate to the cause. Thank you for helping to change the world — one child at a time. 

Bringing Hope to Children in Colombia

In February 2018, a group of twenty-five local NTC Ambassadors and donors visited Wayuu children from the Village of Kaimaran La Guajira and donated 1000 bags of VitaMeal and 400 school backpacks in celebration of the Nourish the Children (NTC) three-year anniversary program in La Guajira, Colombia.  

NTC has donated 12,000 bags each year since 2015 to the Wayuu Arurayuu Association, which distributes the bags monthly to different villages and education centers in La Guajira, Wayuu territory.  

Felix Montiel, Program Coordinator for the Wayuu Araurayu Association, said, “Children in this area have the highest mortality rate in the nation due to malnutrition. For some Wayuu children, the VitaMeal school lunch will be the only meal they will receive that day.  These VitaMeal donations are saving our children and increasing school attendance!”  

Wayuu children gathered from seven different villages in the Kaimaran school center and received the Nu Skin delegation with American, Colombian, Wayuu and Nu Skin Flags. Children performed traditional dances to honor their donors and were happy to receive their VitaMeal meal along with back-to-school backpacks filled with school supplies. 

Helping Families Around The World

Ella May lives in a house made of bamboo and other materials easily found in the area. Ella’s parents make less than 250 pesos ($15) a day, and though most of their hard earned money is spent on food and their children’s education, the amount they earn is not enough for the family of eight.

Not all the children were able to eat each day and Ella, being the oldest, would often skip more meals so that her siblings could eat. Ella began to lose weight and fall behind in her class because she wasn’t getting enough food. Thankfully, Ella May and her siblings were recently enrolled in a feeding program at her school where they serve VitaMeal. After eating VitaMeal for several weeks she started to look healthier and participate in class more.

She is one of the prime examples of how proper, regular nutrition from food like VitaMeal can make a huge difference in the lives of the children. Since enrolling in the program, Ella May has become a lot healthier, happier and optimistic about the future. Her dream is to become a fashion designer and make beautiful dresses and provide enough for her family.

With your continued support, her dream might just become a reality. Ella May is thankful for the generous donations that help her and her siblings.  

School Empowering Stomachs and Minds

Emma is eight years old and shares a small house with her parents, two siblings and grandmother in El Salvador. Recently, times have been tough. Her father has struggled to find permanent work and couldn’t always provide enough food, so Emma and her family would often go hungry.

Recently, Emma was enrolled into the Children’s Feeding Initiative, a program provided by Convoy of Hope, one of Nourish the Children’s charity partners. Emma now receives VitaMeal during school, which has drastically changed her life. Not only does VitaMeal fill her stomach, but it alleviates some of the financial stress on her family.

Emma has big dreams for the future. “I want to be a nurse so I can help other people,” she says. Because of the kindness of VitaMeal donors, Emma can dream of her future with hope that she can make it happen. Please continue to purchase and donate to help children like Emma.

Nu Skin is a for-profit distributor of nutritional and skin care products and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NUS). Nourish the Children is an initiative of Nu Skin and is registered in some states as a commercial co-venture. The initiative enables Nu Skin’s brand affiliates and customers to purchase VitaMeal from Nu Skin and donate it to charitable organizations to help solve the complex world problem of feeding malnourished children. The price of VitaMeal includes the cost of manufacturing, general overhead, distribution and sales. As is the case with other Nu Skin products, brand affiliates are paid commissions and Nu Skin earns a profit margin from each sale of VitaMeal.