What is Plumpy’nut?^® The product may not look like much — a little foil packet filled with a soft, sticky substance — but its advocates are astounded by its results. What is Plumpy’nut^®? Sound it out, and you get the idea: it’s an edible paste made of peanuts, packed with calories and vitamins, specially formulated to re-nourish starving children. A blend of peanut-butter, powdered milk, sugar and vegetable oil fortified with vitamins and minerals, the paste won its glowing reputation during a 2005 food crisis in Niger.

Who does it help? A child dies every six seconds from malnutrition. Plumpy’nut^® is used as a treatment for emergency malnutrition cases. It helps with rapid weight gain, which can make the difference between life and death for a young child. Since its widespread introduction five years ago, it has been credited with significantly lowering mortality rates during famines in Africa. Children on a Plumpy’nut^® regimen add pounds rapidly, often going from a near-death state to relative health in a month. In the world of humanitarian aid, where progress is usually measured in subtle increments of misery, the new product offers a rare satisfaction: swift, visible, fantastic efficacy.

How is it administered? It is distributed under medical supervision, predominantly to parents of malnourished children where the nutritional status of the children has been assessed by a doctor or a nutritionist. The paste is administered two to three times daily, for two to four weeks, and will reverse malnutrition in severely malnourished children.

The product is easy for children to eat since they can feed themselves the soft paste. Plumpy’nut^® is very high in calories, which means that a child will get a lot of energy from just small amounts, important because malnutrition shrinks the stomach. It requires no water, preparation, or refrigeration and has a 2-year shelf life, making it easy to deploy in difficult conditions to treat severe acute malnutrition.

How is Just Jewelry helping? Just Jewelry is proudly offering the Humanity Bracelet in support of the Plumpy’nut^® initiative. For each bracelet sold, Just Jewelry will donate the funds necessary to provide two Plumpy’nut^® treatments. Donations will go directly toward the purchase of Plumpy'nut^®. Contact your local consultant today to find out how you can help! Click here to find the closest consultant.