PPB (Project Peanut Butter) does it right. PPB sets up sustainable programs in the countries they go into and develop the program from the ground up. PPB works with the farms and business to provide what they need locally. They set up a non for profit organisation within the country to run the program locally. PPB sets up a factory to provide RUTF (Ready to Use Therapeutic Food) for all the clinics that deal with SAM Disease (Severe Acute Malnutrition) already in the country. The goal is to provide RUTF for every clinic in the country and not need to import from outside. Then PPB starts setting up clinic in remote areas where the need is great and no clinics are available. These new clinic in the four countries PPB is in have pasted the 1,000.000 children saved. I have been a volunteer advocate, fundraiser and grant writer for PPB for ten years. I have written and managed in partnership with Rotary clubs in the countries of need, five Rotary Foundation Global Grants for Malawi, Ghana and Sierra Leone. We are working on another TRF Global Grant for Ivory Coast. Picture included is of me presenting a a Rotary District conference.
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Palm Springs Sunup Rotary Club from District 5330 has sponsored and written 3 Rotary International Foundation Global Grants for Project Peanut Butter in 3 African countries (Malawi, Sierra Leone and Ghana) with the assistance of 15 International Rotary Districts, Rotary clubs in each needy country and 40 clubs in our District. Project Peanut Butter is saving Children who are dying from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM Disease). Project Peanut Butter works in cooperation with the Country's health services programs along with WHO (World Health Organization, WFP (World Food Program, UNICEF and USAid. Project Peanut Butter is dedicated to having Sustainable programs in each country to reach the children who are unreachable. The 3 Rotary International Global Grants have helped Project Peanut Butter save almost 200,000 children under the age of 5 per year. Sustainable means the everything is done in each country. A local NGO (Non profit Organization) is formed in each country and then increasing local Farms, developing a local factory, local distribution and local clinics all set up in each country. Project Peanut Butter hires local people and trains then till they run the program themselves. This is the way it should be done in all needy Countries where children are dying of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM Disease). However it takes start up funding and WHO, WFP, UNICEF and USAid don't provide start up funding. When these programs are developed the WHO, WFP, UNICEF and/or USAid will help with the ongoing funding. Many countries are in need of this program to not only save their children, but to help develop their economy and self sufficiency. A small Rotary International Foundation Matching Grant was also written for The Philippines and a new Global Grant is now being written.
Review from #MyGivingStory
My wife and I met ten years ago. I never knew the right person was out there and that they could be such a great fit for me. We are both middle-aged and our marriage together would be the second for each of us. We had already established lives for ourselves and were each saddled with a collection of "stuff," so it didn't make sense for us to register anywhere for gifts. As we were already blessed with a bounty, we felt the right thing to do was to give back. We kindly asked our guests to refrain from bringing presents to our wedding and instead reach for their checkbooks to write a donation to Project Peanut Butter, a local St. Louis charity that has developed a therapeutic, ready-to-eat peanut butter-based food product for malnourished children in Africa. It gave our hearts and minds such joy to know not only that were giving back, but that our circle of friends and family felt as strongly about the cause and gave so willingly. The world needs more compassion, more love, and more awareness; this was our contribution to that effort~
Review from #MyGivingStory
There are so many wonderful easy ways to support this amazing project. See http://www.projectpeanutbutter.org/other-ways-to-support-us/
I had the privledge of working as an RN with Dr Manary many years ago so I know firsthand what a brilliant and caring Physician and researcher he is. When I read about the development of the nutritional peanut butter I was hooked as a donor. The concept as well as the organization is efficient, economical and benefits the citizens of the countries in so many ways. Employment, empowerment, self-sufficiency. We here in America can learn a lot from organizations like this. Keep up the good work!
Project Peanut Butter is doing an amazing job of feeding children and saving them from malnutrietion. I've been watching thier posts on facebook for sometime and they are a wonderful organization.
I volunteered with Project Peanut Butter from April of 2013 until April of 2014. My experiences with PPB shaped my future career path (I'm now in nursing school) as well as my understanding of my place in the world as a global citizen. PPB offers its volunteers a unique opportunity to prepare supplies and work in village health clinics. Traveling to local health clinics and working with a Malawian staff of nurses, drivers, and community health workers allows volunteers to interact daily with people who understand the reality of malnutrition. Each day the Malawian mothers and their children walk long distances to meet the PPB team. Volunteers can watch the children heal and transform during their RUTF (enriched peanut butter) therapy. There is an incredible sense of resiliency and determination from both the mothers and the children that is truly inspiring. PPB is doing a fantastic job of working with the local community to create life-giving change, which is building a generation of strong leaders. I highly recommend volunteering with and donating to this non-profit.
Dr Mark Manary is my brother in-law. For many years he and my sister Mardi have selflessly committed their lives to combat the malnutrition that plaques millions of children across the globe. Mark tirelessly works to improve products and processes of this RUTF, while Mardi manages the operations and travels to assist Mark with partnering efforts. I have been a donor for years, not because they are my relatives but because I know both Mark and Mardi's hearts and believe in their cause. Please help me support Mark, their staff, and this much needed treatment.
I just returned from 8 weeks working with PPB in Malawi as a clinic volunteer. I couldn't have imagined a more fulfilling or inspiring way to spend my summer, working to improve the nutrition of some of the most impoverished people in the world. Spending time in the villages, working with mothers and children and with our phenomenal nurses and drivers, was absolutely one of the best experiences of my life, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Think about when you are hungry. Think about what you crave. My favorite food is peanut butter. Project Peanut Butter packs nutrition with peanut butter and helps the not only hungry but the starving sweet children all over the world as much as they can
Thank you Dr. Mark Manary and your generous team for this amazing project.
I'm working in the bush with subsistence farmers in Sierra Leone. I see first hand the incredible need and value PPB is providing to malnourished children. This organization is well organized and efficient with their funds as I have visited their plant in Freetown, SL and their staff is wholeheartedly devoted to their mission of saving lives. Sierra Leone is a better place because of PPB and their children and families better off. Thank you for supporting Project Peanut Butter, Curt Riess, CEO PB Crave Peanut Butters
I volunteered for PPB in Ghana for about 10 months, helping to oversee the design and construction of the factory where RUTF is produced for both Project Peanut Butter and for the Hershey Company. PPB was a fantastic organization to work for mainly because of the hands-off trust in our decision-making processes as well as the expert communication by Martin Histand. Despite the drastic time change between St. Louis, USA and Ghana, Martin was always willing to find a time to talk on the phone or visit in person.
With all of Mark Manary's research on the topic of severe malnutrition, it is no wonder the employees are so engaged and passionate about such a great cause. PPB is the best nonprofit I have ever worked for, and I am proud to have played a small role is such a great organization. May the fight against severe malnutrition continue!
Kind regards,
Luke H. Aka Kofi
I am a new mother to a beautiful one-month old baby girl, but when I was discharged from the hospital, I struggled with breastfeeding. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, and when my baby didn't regain her birth weight by three weeks, I was devastated, fearful, and overwhelmed. I live a privileged lifestyle where it was very easy for me to begin to introduce formula for my baby, but the thought of her not gaining weight was terrifying. PPB helps mothers who aren't as fortunate be able to feed and nurture their children in an easy and convenient way for them. In today's world, it is horrific that malnutrition is still an issue. PPB helps to reverse this epidemic; please help to support them!
I volunteered for Project Peanut Butter's feeding clinics in Malawi last year for 3 months. During my time in Malawi, I found a great team of local and international staff/ volunteers that work together for the sake of children's life. Project Peanut Butter not only saves malnourished children's lives with feeding clinics in rural Africa it also produces the food that serves as the treatment (RUTF/ RUSF) locally in its factories that are mostly run by local staff. As I really appreciated PPB's approach, I started working for the new start- up factory in Ghana.
I volunteered for PPB in Malawian clinics for five months in college. I am impressed by the drive and integrity of the staff. The collaboration and respect between the American and Malawian scientists, doctors, nurses and staff worked well for the benefit of the clinic patients. PPB productively meshes metrics based scientific research and compassionate clinical care.
As a volunteer I was very well treated. Expectations for my behavior and responsibilities were made extremely clear by senior staff. I was given enough support in the beginning to learn how to be useful at clinic. With more experience in clinic my responsibilities were increased, but they were never overwhelming. Staff treated me respectfully, I felt appreciated, and I was welcomed into the team even though I was only in Malawi for a short time.
Facing patients and families whose medical and financial needs extend beyond what can be addressed by PPB was difficult for me emotionally, but should not be a reason to shy away. Returning to the U.S. after volunteering in Malawi was a jarring transition. I recommend that any volunteer who has not spent time in a resource limited situation plan a few days of recovery time after their return from PPB before they return to school or work to aid with reacclimatizing.
I continue to support the mission of PPB and follow the scientific publications made by its scientists. From what I saw during my time in Malawi money is fairly well managed, staff treat patients and volunteers respectfully, patient health is by far the highest priority, and the people in charge know what they're doing.
PPB offered me the opportunity to work closely with children and mothers that desperately needed help. The 15 months I spent volunteering with PPB introduced me to a number of wonderful new friends and opened doors for me professionally. PPB does incredible work for thousands each year and working for them was the greatest decision I've made.