Millie Kilayko, the driving force behind the Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC) Foundation since its inception in 2010, had a profound realization when she observed a tall boy in a kindergarten classroom that NVC had helped build in 2011. NVC initially focused on constructing classrooms for underprivileged schools on Negros Island. However, Millie was taken aback when she discovered that this 9-year-old boy had to wait years for his turn to attend school due to his family’s poverty. This revelation made Millie question the purpose of building beautiful classrooms if children couldn’t access them due to their dire circumstances.
This pivotal moment prompted NVC to shift their focus towards addressing the nutritional needs of undernourished children. Recognizing that while education is vital, children’s health and nourishment are even more fundamental, NVC collaborated with local nutritionists and food scientists to develop a blend of locally grown crops that would offer the necessary nutrients for growing children. The combination of rice, mung bean, and moringa resulted in the creation of “Mingo,” a powdered food supplement that could be administered to malnourished children. These “Mingo Meals,” consisting of 20-gram packets of the nutritious blend, provide enough key nutrients to help underweight children reach a normal weight when consumed daily. Mingo has been utilized in 60 provinces thus far.
During her journey, Millie encountered a squash farmer who was on the verge of giving up due to lack of demand for his produce. To provide support and ensure a market for his harvest, Millie offered to purchase all his squash. As a result, squash became one of the flavors incorporated into Mingo Meals, along with locally grown purple yam and chocolate from locally sourced cacao. Right from the start, Millie insisted on using raw materials produced by local farmers to ensure that they directly benefit from the program.
Since 2011, NVC has implemented the program by identifying underweight children aged 6 to 59 months, reaching over 54,500 children to date. The feeding is conducted at home, with monthly distribution of Mingo packs to households with target children who consume a minimum of one serving of Mingo daily for six months. In late 2020, NVC introduced a Level 2 protocol, expanding coverage to a year per child and adding a conditional cash reward system to incentivize mothers to attend quarterly health check-ups. Wellness counseling on health, nutrition, and hygiene was also integrated into the program. Barangay health workers are also rewarded when their assigned children meet the height and weight targets measured quarterly.
So, how successful has the program been? NVC reports an impressive success rate of 83 percent under the six-month Level 1 protocol they utilized over 11 years until late 2020. The enhanced Level 2 protocol has significantly increased mothers’ attendance at health checks and wellness counseling to 98 percent, compared to just 77 percent under Level 1. During the first quarter under Level 2, there was an 85.7 percent increase in children achieving a normal weight compared to the same period under the previous Level 1 protocol. It is clear that this program is highly effective and worth replicating and adapting in other regions of the country.
Having witnessed the NVC program in action during a recent visit to Bacolod as part of a study visit by the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), we have since become aware of numerous similar programs being carried out by other dedicated organizations. MAP aims to utilize its collective management expertise to foster better collaboration and synergy among these working models. As the nation confronts the urgent battle against malnutrition and child stunting, MAP is hosting a workshop today to facilitate this process. It is imperative that we allow various initiatives to thrive in this crusade, while also striving to create coherence and organization within the efforts.
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