See original article: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/local-news/2017/06/12/nvc-sends-almost-40000-mingo-meals-marawi-kids-547010
By CARLA N. CAÑET
Negros Volunteers for Change (NVC) sent 39,159 Mingo meals over the weekend for children in Marawi City affected by the clash the between government troops and the Maute group.
Millie Kilayko, head of NVC and chairperson of the Rise Against Hunger Philippines, said it is timely to send food assistance considering that the lives of people in Marawi, especially the children, had been hampered by the war.
NVC’s ground partner Jaminah Pandi is a member of the Board of Trustees of Rise Against Hunger Philippines.
“It’s not an official activity of Rise Against Hunger as its activities are different, but she is based in Iligan City and we have utilized her network for the distribution of the Mingo meals,” Kilayko said.
NVC Foundation operates a government-certified production plant and manufactures Mingo, a nutritious instant complementary food made of rice, mongo (mung beans), and malunggay (moringa). Mingo is primarily for infants and toddlers, but is also used for older children in areas of need.
“We run a nutrition program using Mingo for children of impoverished families to help them build strong bodies and sharp minds,” Kilayko said.
Because of its convenience and nutritional value, Mingo has also gained popularity as an emergency food in disaster relief operations and has been used to feed victims of disasters in the Philippines.
NVC’s six-month Mingo feeding program provides complementary food to children aged six to 30 months in deprived communities all over the Philippines.
Program recipients in each community are carefully screened to ensure that they come from families in need, and that breastfeeding is practiced by the mothers whenever applicable.
