Real Life Story

Philippine Feeding Program
Marikina City, Philippines

Al Odiaman, a 5 year-old is among the 100 undernourished children being fed in the feeding program. He is the 7th child of the eight children of Alex and Lorena Odiaman. The Family lives in an impoverished hut provided by the child's uncle. It has no electricity and running water and the floor is hard soil. The child's father has no stable job. He accepts carpentry jobs but the offers come very rarely. Due to unstable income, the family's basic needs especially food is hardly met. The Child's mother is suffering from pneumonia therefore she cannot work. As a consequence of this abject condition, Al and his brothers and sisters are all suffering from malnutrition due to lack of nutritious food to eat. There were times that they only ate food twice a day.

For Al and his family, it is a great blessing that the Marikina program is extending its hands to children like him. The exciting reward of the feeding program is, that Al's family was able to receive dry goods and are being provided capital to put up a variety store in their home as another source of income for the family.