The LNI is a group of students and faculty at Wittenberg University who provide nutritious meals to children in the county who suffer from chronic malnutrition.
“We try to target kids under the age of five because that’s when 95% of our cognitive development happens... What the Lesotho Nutrition Initiative does is we hold packing events with various schools and churches in the area where we pack meals that contain nutritional supplements that we send over to Lesotho,” said Wittenberg history professor Scott Rosenberg.
This is the third year that Springfield High School has partnered with the LNI to help pack meals.
“It makes me feel good that I’m helping people who are less fortunate. This is going to be my third year doing it and every time I do it, it makes me feel good,” said senior Carissa Bavis. “I have fun doing it, and it’s for a good cause too.”
This is the LNI groups sixth year doing this project. Rosenberg said the first five years they shipped 2.5 million meals to Lesotho.
Rosenberg said the goal Thursday was to pack about 30,000 meals.
“We have 25 partners in Lesotho and they provide meals to about 3,000 kids every day. I have been to all but two of the partner sites and I’ve been to them times apart, so I’ve seen the difference in the kids. Not only the physical growth, but they’re much more aware, much more alert. The kids are doing better in preschool and stuff now because they have the nutrition that they need for the energy, but also focus so they can learn,” Rosenberg said.
For more information regarding the program, visit lesothonutritioninitiative.com.
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