Medika Mamba

Our last morning in the northern part of the country was spent just outside of Cap Haitian at the Meds and Food for Kids factory. It is a peanut butter factory that makes the super vitamin loaded peanut butter that is being produced around the world to combat malnutrition in children. Here in Haiti they call it Medika Mamba (Peanut Butter Medicine) and around the world they call it Plumpy Nut…which is what I heard about some in Malawi. This is the only factory in Haiti that is making these products (there are some for school snacks, older children, infants) and has gotten the ok to produce for international sale. They can sell to UNICEF or World Food or whoever because their things are all up to code. (I think there may be another factory in Haiti but not at that standard). They dreamed big when they built their new factory—they had been producing out of a house—and have the capacity to produce all the Medika Mamba that is needed in Haiti. They have even talked the big organizations to buy from them even if their product is a little more expensive to support what they are doing in using Haitain products (peanuts) and workers and supporting farmers to produce what they need. It was a cool thing to see. They are doing so much for Haiti. Hiring workers, buying local (and importing for things they can’t get here), experimenting with new types of peanuts for better yield. And there are results you can see—malnutrition causes the stomach to bloat, hair to turn orangey, eyes to turn yellow, and brains to not function well. If it is treated quickly and correctly the children can grow to be helpful members of society. Check them out at www.mfkhaiti.org.

sterile packaging room

sterile preparation room

ready to go...one box per child should get them the kick start they need...one sachet a day until it is gone

new varieties