Your Cocktails & Castoffs Gifts Are Growing

June 23, 2023

It’s been eight months since we gathered virtually for Cocktails & Castoffs AT HOME 2022. The DIG community wrapped their arms around this organization with a collective hope for a more nourished and healthy world.

As an organization, we were humbled and deeply grateful for the many ways you showed up, and today, we have the privilege of sharing an extraordinary update that showcases the transformative power your contributions and the unwavering resilience of families we serve.

You met Winnie and her caregiver, Iscah, in a short film describing our Priority Household Program.

When the DIG team first encountered Winnie and Iscah at Marindi Sub-County Hospital, it was a pivotal moment. Winnie, at just eleven months old, was severely malnourished, her tiny frame reflecting the hardships she had faced. Iscah, Winnie’s devoted caregiver, had been struggling to provide adequate nutrition for Winnie, with farming as their main source of income. The lack of knowledge regarding proper infant feeding compounded their challenges. But hope emerged as the DIG team stepped in to support them.

Through the combined efforts of the DIG, the nutritionists of Marindi hospital and Iscah’s unwavering commitment, a transformation began. A DIG home garden was established, showcasing the power of nutrition sensitive gardens. Iscah received routine nutrition education and Winnie benefited from the rich porridge flour that supplemented her diet. The impact was undeniable as Winnie’s health started to improve, and a brighter future unfolded.

Fast forward to this May, and the US team’s return visit to Kenya, when the story took an unexpected turn.

The DIG team was overjoyed to witness Winnie’s remarkable progress, her vibrant spirit lighting up the room. However, they soon learned that Iscah had opened her home once again to Wycliffe, Winnie’s baby brother. Tragically, Wycliffe arrived to Iscah severely malnourished, echoing Winnie’s earlier struggle.

Iscah, armed with the knowledge and experience gained through DIG’s support, wasted no time. She immediately sought help from the DIG team once again, determined to secure a brighter future for both her children. Wycliffe was enrolled in DIG’s comprehensive support program, receiving vital Ready to Eat Therapeutic Foods to address his immediate nutritional needs. Meanwhile, Iscah’s dedication to nurturing and building DIG prescription gardens continued, ensuring that both Winnie and Wycliffe would have access to the nourishment necessary for their growth and development.

The resilience and strength displayed by Iscah and her growing family is a testament to the impact of your support.

Through your unwavering belief in our mission and your generous contributions, you have provided a lifeline for Winnie, Wycliffe, and countless others in similar situations.

Their stories serve as a powerful reminder of the lasting change that can be achieved when we unite in compassion and support. Together, we nurture health, hope, and resilience, empowering families to embrace brighter futures.

We celebrate Winnie’s ongoing journey and the newfound beginnings for her family, but let us remember our work is far from done.

With every donation, every act of kindness, and every shared belief in the potential of others, we continue to create a ripple effect of positive change.

Thank you for being the driving force behind Winnie’s transformation and for lighting a beacon of hope in the lives of families like hers. Together, we are breaking barriers, transforming lives, and shaping a more compassionate and equitable world.

Your 2022 Cocktails & Castoffs Support Meant the World

A Few Impact Numbers:

DIG’s PRIORITY HOUSEHOLD PROGRAM

This intensive program allows hospitals to prescribe the DIG program to families with children who have been diagnosed as malnourished. Families like Iscah’s!

96% of the children DIG has enrolled in 2023 have already recovered and continue to maintain a healthy weight and diet.

We expect to enroll additional families before the end of the year.

DIG’s FARMER FIELD SCHOOL PROGRAM

This program works with marginalized groups like farmers with disabilities, people living with HIV, first generation farmers, the ultra poor, young mothers and others who are underserved in the community.

86% of DIG Farmer Field School graduates go on to train 3+ others on what they learned through the program, making this a self scaling program that doesn’t require added investment from you or DIG.

INDIGENOUS FOODS PRESERVATION PROJECT

In Uganda, when the Batwa were removed from their ancestral forests, they were disconnected from their traditional foods. Since 2017 DIG has been working to ensure this marginalized community can feed themselves outside of the forest. Now, with your support, we are going further with a program that aims to restore their cultural diets.

26 fruits and vegetables have been documented through DIG’s Indigenous Foods Preservation Project. 13 have been successfully grown in community gardens and 8 are being regularly incorporated into the Batwa’s home gardens across Uganda.

Watch the Short Film on DIG's Priority HouseHold Program