Vitamin A keeps Chanthrea and Pearak’s sight safe

My story

Chanthrea and Pearak, from the Kampong Channang province of Cambodia, are extremely vulnerable to vitamin A deficiency.

Vitamin A deficiency is globally, the biggest cause of avoidable blindness in children. It also makes children especially susceptible to common diseases and death. A staggering 70% of children will die within one year of becoming blind from vitamin A deficiency.

Chanthrea and Pearak are both under three years old, and live in poverty. Without help, their diets would be dangerously low in vitamin A. Their parents, Sen and Houem, are unable to cover the costs of any medical care.

How we helped
Sen and Houem recently took their children for their third vitamin A supplement from the Chrak Angre village health centre. Chanthrea and Pearak are now protected from vitamin A deficiency and its blinding side-effects for the next six months.

Sen learnt from her community health education that “every year, each eligible child needs to get a vitamin A supplement twice so that they can be healthy, strong and smart”. These education sessions are vital in spreading awareness of the importance of vitamin A for young children.

Hoeum added: “I am very happy that my children can benefit from the vitamin A supplement programme that Helen Keller International support in my village.”

This education and supplement distribution service in Cambodia is one of hundreds of similar programmes being run by Helen Keller International and funded by Seeing is Believing.

To help us to support similar programmes in other needy areas, please donate.