In 2004, an extensive nutrition-based program — Libras de Amor, or Pounds of Love— was designed to address malnutrition in children under five years old who live in El Salvador's rural areas. Currently, Libras de Amor is known as the Early Childhood Development Program. SAHF and FUSAL's work in public health has revealed the impact nutrition has on a person's general wellbeing.
The program was piloted in Apaneca, where malnutrition rates were as high as 47%. WeNOURISH-Apaneca has seen an 11% drop in malnutrition rates since work began there. To date, over 18 communities and more than 200,000 participants throughout El Salvador have been served.
In 2021, SAHF and FUSAL were still dealing with the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Early Childhood Development Program adjusted its strategies and activities to provide support to the rural communities that are being served:
