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Support Innovative Humanitarian Assistance in Ethiopia

Sponsored by: US Fund for UNICEF
Malnutrition contributes to more than half of all child deaths in Ethiopia. A recent survey showed that 47 percent of Ethiopia's children are stunted and 11 percent suffer from severe wasting.

It's not all bad news though. Recovery rates for these severely under-nourished children can be as high as 90 to 95 percent when an innovative, ready-to-eat therapeutic food spread is used. The spread can literally bring children back from the brink of death in a matter of days.

It needs no cooking, so it can be eaten anywhere and at any time, simply by squeezing it out of a tube.

Though the spread is inexpensive, UNICEF found that it cost too much to import it into Ethiopia and that limited capacity at overseas plants was making it difficult to make life-saving deliveries on time.

So they built a factory. Now they can produce the spread in country; saving money, ensuring faster deliveries and providing a higher level of self-suffiency to a country racked by drought and child malnutrition.

Sign below to show your support for this innovation that not only saves lives, but changes them too.
deadline: Ongoing...
goal: 15,000
 

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I support innovative humanitarian aid that does more than saves lives. It changes them too.

For example, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, UNICEF runs the largest factory in Africa that produces a therapeutic food spread for malnourished children, and it is a step in the right direction in addressing the issue of malnutrition at the local level. The spread is a high-protein, high-energy peanut-based paste used for the treatment of severely malnourished children.

The situation in Ethiopia is dire. Malnutrition contributes to more than half of all child deaths in Ethiopia. And a recent demographic and health survey shows that 47 percent of Ethiopia's children are stunted, 38 percent are underweight and 11 percent suffer from severe wasting.

While UNICEF could've easily imported the spread from plants overseas, they instead chose to work with donors and manufacturers to manufacture the spread in Ethiopia. Thus they reduce the transportation costs, ensure timely deliveries and provide a higher level of self-suffiency to a country racked by drought and child malnutrition.
We signed the “Support Innovative Humanitarian Assistance in Ethiopia” petition!
# 3,968:
1:57 pm PST, Feb 9, Sabine Aston, Pennsylvania
# 3,967:
12:03 pm PST, Feb 9, Isma Whitewolf, United Kingdom
# 3,966:
8:20 am PST, Feb 9, Lisa R, Germany
# 3,965:
8:00 am PST, Feb 9, Hernan Ricardo Carrasco, Virginia
# 3,964:
2:31 am PST, Feb 9, Sylvia Walker, France
# 3,963:
11:08 pm PST, Feb 8, Gwendolyn Mims, North Carolina
# 3,962:
10:32 pm PST, Feb 8, Mr Shorcuts, New York
# 3,961:
8:31 pm PST, Feb 8, Rebecca Andrews, Iowa
# 3,960:
5:28 pm PST, Feb 8, Mark Marsden, United Kingdom
# 3,959:
3:37 pm PST, Feb 8, Susan Dumas, United Kingdom
# 3,958:
1:54 pm PST, Feb 8, May Agar, United Kingdom
# 3,957:
11:57 am PST, Feb 8, Daithi O'Murichu, Ireland
# 3,956:
11:26 am PST, Feb 8, David Hoyne, New Zealand
# 3,955:
9:29 am PST, Feb 8, Kaleen Woodcox, Canada
# 3,954:
7:18 am PST, Feb 8, Donnette Davis, South Africa
# 3,953:
7:00 am PST, Feb 8, James Colberg, Connecticut
# 3,952:
3:05 am PST, Feb 8, Mone Andreea, Romania
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2:52 am PST, Feb 8, Name not displayed, Indonesia
# 3,950:
12:33 am PST, Feb 8, Kevin Bigaignon, California
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9:00 pm PST, Feb 7, Dara Schlick, Colorado
# 3,948:
2:46 pm PST, Feb 7, Angela Rose, Virginia
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5:36 am PST, Feb 7, Jeannie Gibbons, Texas
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4:21 am PST, Feb 7, Callum Neil, United Kingdom
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7:37 pm PST, Feb 6, Julie Alexander, Indiana
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11:18 am PST, Feb 6, Andrea McCoy, New Jersey
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11:06 am PST, Feb 6, DJ Stone, Texas
# 3,942:
10:42 am PST, Feb 6, Jeff Bailey, Missouri
# 3,941:
10:40 am PST, Feb 6, Richard Kuntze, California
# 3,940:
8:01 am PST, Feb 6, Daniel Axelrod, North Carolina
WE NEED THIS!
# 3,939:
7:56 am PST, Feb 6, Diane Otterstrom, Utah
# 3,938:
6:25 am PST, Feb 6, Ted Szostak, North Carolina
# 3,937:
3:57 am PST, Feb 6, Richelle Hickey, Canada
# 3,936:
10:53 pm PST, Feb 5, Jean Bremer, Illinois
# 3,935:
8:13 pm PST, Feb 5, John Coleman, Alabama
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4:44 pm PST, Feb 5, Izbase Loredana, Romania
# 3,933:
12:14 pm PST, Feb 5, Britany J, Canada
# 3,932:
10:23 am PST, Feb 5, Serena Pena, Florida
# 3,931:
5:55 am PST, Feb 5, Lynna Mustapha, Malaysia
In the Bhaiṣajyaguruvaidūryaprabharāja Sūtra, the Medicine Buddha is described as having entered into a state of samadhi called "Eliminating All the Suffering and Afflictions of Sentient Beings." From this samadhi state he spoke the Medicine Buddha Dharani.[1] namo bhagavate bhaiṣajyaguru vaiḍūryaprabharājāya tathāgatāya arhate samyaksambuddhāya tadyathā: oṃ bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajye mahābhaiṣajya-samudgate svāhā. The last line of the dharani is used as the Medicine Buddha's mantra. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, is the bodhisattva who most embodies compassion. The name Avalokitesvara has its root meaning as "he who observes the sounds of the world". The great vow of Avalokitesvara is to listen to the supplications, and cries for help from those in difficulty in the world and to provide them with aid, whatever expedient means are needed to help people most effectively. Those who recite and hold the Great Compassion Mantra will obtain these fifteen kinds of good birth. All gods and people should constantly recite and hold it, without carelessness. Those who recite and hold the spiritual Mantra of Great Compassion will not suffer any of these fifteen kinds of bad death and will obtain the following fifteen kinds of good birth: 1. Their place of birth will always have a good king 2. They will always be born in a good country 3. They will always be born at a good time 4. They will always meet good friends 5. The organs of their body will always be complete 6. Their heart will be pure and full in the way 7. They will not violate the prohibitive precepts 8. Their family will be kind and harmonious 9. They will always have the necessary wealth and goods in abundance 10. They will always obtain the respect and help of others 11. They riches will not be plundered 12. They will obtain everything they seek 13. Dragons, gods, and good spirits will always protect them 14. In the place where they are born they will see the Buddha and hear the Dharma 15. They will awaken to the profound meaning of that Proper Dharma which they hear. People and gods who recite and hold the Great Compassion Mantra will obtain fifteen kinds of good birth and will not suffer fifteen kinds of bad death. The bad deaths are: 1. They will not die of starvation or privation 2. They will not die from having been yoked, imprisoned, caned or otherwise beaten 3. They will not die at the hands of hostile enemies 4. They will not be killed in military battle 5. They will not be killed by tigers, wolves, or other evil beasts 6. They will not die from the venom of poisonous snakes, black serpents, or scorpions 7. They will not drown or be burned to death 8. They will not be poisoned to death 9. They will not die as a result of sorcery 10. They will not die of madness or insanity 11. They will not be killed by landslides or falling trees 12. They will not die of nightmares sent by evil people 13. They will not be killed by deviant spirits or evil ghosts 14. They will not die of evil illnesses which bind the body 15. They will not commit suicide Nīlakantha Dhāranī (The Blue Necked Dhāranī) Namo ratna-trayāya (Adoration of the triple Gem) [edit] I. Initial Salutation Nama āryāvalokite-śvarāya bodhisattvāya mahā-sattvāya mahā-kārunikāya (Adoration to the noble Lord who looks down, the enlightened sentient being, the great being, the merciful one!) [edit] II. Name of Avalokiteśvarā Om sarva-bhaya-śodhanāya tasya namaskrtvā imu Ārya-valokite-śvarā tava namo Nīlakantha 2 (Om! Having paid adoration to One who dispels all fears, the noble Avalokiteśvarā, adoration to the blue-necked one!) [edit] III. śloka enunication of the merit of the hrdaya-dhāranī Hrdayam vartayisyāmi sarvārtha-sādhanam śubham 3 ajeyam sarva-bhūtānām bhava-mārga-viśodhakam 4 (I shall enunciate the heart dharani which ensures all purpose, is pure and invincible for all beings, and which purifies the path of existence.) [edit] IV. Dhāranī Tadyathā: Om Ālokādhipati lokātikrānta (Like this: Om! Lord of Effulgence, the World-Transcending One. Ehy mahā-bodhisattva sarpa-sarpa smara smara hrdayam (Come, great bodhisattva, descend, descend. Please remember (smara) my heart dharani. Kuru-kuru karma dhuru-dhuru vijayate mahā-vijayate (Do, do the work. Hold fast, hold fast, Victor, the great Victor) Dhara-dhara dhārinī-rāja cala-cala mama vimalā-mūrtte (Hold on, hold on, King of the Dharani. Move, move onto my spotless image.) Ehi ehi chinda chinda aras pracali vaśa-vaśam pranāśaya (Come, come, the vow, the vow of the admantine king, destroy, destroy every poison.) Hulu-hulu smara hulu-hulu sara-sara siri-siri suru-suru (Quick-quick, please remember, quick-quick. Descend-descend, descend-descend, descend-descend) Bodhiya-bodhiya bodhaya-bodhaya maitriya Nīlakantha [dehi me] darsanam (Being enlightened, being enlightened; enlighten me, enlighten me. Merciful Blue-necked One appear [unto me].) Praharāyamānāya svāhā siddhāya svāhā mahā-siddhāya svāhā siddhayogīśvarāya svāhā (To you who sees us, hail! To the Successful one hail! To the Great Successful one hail! To the Successful Lord of the yogis, hail!) Nīlakanthāya svāhā varāha-mukhāya svāhā narasimha-mukhāya svāha (To the Blue-necked one (Nīlakantha) hail! To the Boar-faced One hail! To Man-Lion faced One hail!) Gadā-hastāya svāhā cakra-hastāya svāhā padma-hastāya svāhā (To one who bears the mace (gadā) in his hand, hail! To the holder of discus in his hand, hail! To One who sports a lotus (padma) in his hand, hail!) Nīlakantha-pāndarāya svāhā Mahātali Śankaraya svāhā (To Blue-necked One smeared (with holy ashes), hail! To the mighty auspicious one, hail!) [edit] V. Final Salutation Namo ratna-trayāya Nama āryāvalokite-śvarāya bodhisattvāya svāhā (Adoration to the Triple Gem, adoration to the noble Āvalokiteśvarā (Lord who looks down), the enlightened being, hail!)
# 3,930:
11:00 pm PST, Feb 4, Nicole Rooth, Canada
# 3,929:
8:24 pm PST, Feb 4, Karen Friend, Connecticut
# 3,928:
8:03 pm PST, Feb 4, Kathy Thornton, California
# 3,927:
3:26 pm PST, Feb 4, Christie Allen, Ohio
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1:59 pm PST, Feb 4, Rodrigo Oliva, Chile
# 3,925:
1:33 pm PST, Feb 4, Sherry Stover-Volker, Pennsylvania
# 3,924:
1:19 pm PST, Feb 4, Emma Spurgin Hussey, United Kingdom
# 3,923:
9:06 am PST, Feb 4, Carol Davis, Illinois
Brilliant! Let's do more aid like this!
# 3,922:
5:44 am PST, Feb 4, Name not displayed, Ukraine
# 3,921:
11:05 pm PST, Feb 3, Darko Markac, Croatia
# 3,920:
10:34 pm PST, Feb 3, Rodin Mita, Romania
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9:54 pm PST, Feb 3, George Martin, Portugal
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2:41 pm PST, Feb 3, Nacima Horner, North Carolina
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9:54 am PST, Feb 3, Karen Shafer, California
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8:50 am PST, Feb 3, Ann Phelan, California
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5:15 am PST, Feb 3, Joyce Hawes, Vermont
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4:04 am PST, Feb 3, Agnieszka Kubicz, Poland
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12:56 am PST, Feb 3, Daniel Symes, Australia
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7:48 pm PST, Feb 2, Tamara Albright, Georgia
# 3,911:
3:28 pm PST, Feb 2, Susan Conway, Maryland
# 3,910:
12:31 pm PST, Feb 2, Jeanette Mainard, Australia
This was a great idea - I hope that other areas of starvation are able to adapt this to their situation.
# 3,909:
10:40 am PST, Feb 2, Laurie Jeffery, Canada
# 3,908:
10:05 am PST, Feb 2, Mats Larsen, Norway
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8:06 am PST, Feb 2, Lisa Perez, Florida
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7:43 am PST, Feb 2, Beatriz Garzon, United Kingdom
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6:48 am PST, Feb 2, Ott Domenica, Switzerland
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5:35 am PST, Feb 2, Sandy Zellers Tolson, Texas
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1:54 am PST, Feb 2, Brett Dunn, Oregon
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1:22 am PST, Feb 2, Claudio Screpanti, United Kingdom
# 3,901:
12:01 am PST, Feb 2, Karl Oakley, Iowa
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