Change people's lives at home and around the world
June 2009
In response to the deepening drought in Ethiopia, the Church recently sent 1.4 million pounds of Atmit to help famine-stricken children, expectant mothers, and the elderly in the African nation.
Ethiopia is one of the oldest countries in the world and Africa’s second-most populous nation with 78 million people. The country has been plagued by periodic drought for hundreds of years. And droughts are becoming more frequent and severe.
Atmit is an Ethiopian porridge based on a centuries-old recipe. It is a nutritious blend of oat flour, powdered milk, sugar, salt, and supplemental vitamins and minerals. It is particularly beneficial to children and the elderly who are so malnourished that they cannot digest food made with coarse flour.
In 2003, the Church sent its first shipment of Atmit to Ethiopia to help relieve the starvation of 12 million people there. Atmit is produced in Salt Lake City, Utah at Welfare Square.
When the Ivory Coast set out to immunize 3.2 million children under five years of age, they hoped to achieve a 50 percent success rate. They were thrilled when 95 percent were vaccinated. Similar success was found in Benin, where all 1.2 million children were vaccinated.
“In 2005, humanitarian doctors found water-caused health problems in Kersa Illala,” said Brett Bass, Director of Humanitarian Services. “They asked us for help in getting a clean water system. So we provided the materials and expertise to drill a well and provide six watering stations.”