Mr. Chairman and members, thank you for the opportunity to be here today.
My journey began in June 2008 after watching an Anderson Cooper report from which I learned about a fortified peanut paste referred to as ready-to-use therapeutic food or RUTF.
It was being used to treat children under the age of five suffering from severe acute malnutrition. This knowledge was life-changing for me. The fact that something as simple as peanut butter could save a child's life was absolutely a miracle. My first thought was to build a factory in the country where it was needed. I spent the year researching and contacting organizations that could help me produce, package, and distribute the RUTF. I had zero success.
After getting nowhere, I looked into manufacturing this life-saving product in my own community of Langley, B.C. We soon produced 5,000 kilograms for North Korea and 15,000 kilograms for Haiti just after the 2010 earthquake. The next leg of my journey led me to Mark Moore of MANA Nutrition. Mark had just received his certification from UNICEF to produce RUTF in his brand new factory. After visiting the MANA facility in Georgia, U.S.A., we realized that they could provide us with a stable source of RUTF.
After securing our official RUTF supplier, our next challenge was to ensure an effective distribution channel for the product. We were soon introduced to World Vision Canada, which presently assists us with the distribution of RUTF through its community-based programs for the management of acute malnutrition.
To date, we have provided 17 shipping containers of RUTF to eight African countries, affecting the lives of over 17,000 children. One hundred per cent of the donations we receive goes toward the purchase of RUTF, allowing the greatest possible impact.
I would like to congratulate the members of Parliament for the accomplishments of the maternal and infant health program. It is critical that this program continue to move forward and that we as Canadians look for more innovative and creative ways to ensure its success. Together we can work towards more solid food security and nutrition in developing countries and continue to affect the lives of millions of children.
My vision is simple: that no more children die of severe acute malnutrition.
Thank you.