Whether rich or poor, in a time of war it does not matter. Money will not protect a Congolese person from the destruction of farmland and the shelling of their home. Fleeing under cover of darkness, with bullets whizzing by, can make anyone a wretch. It can bring anyone to the brink of starvation. It turns every child into a child of war.

We do not know what seven-year-old Timothée and his parents were fed before they were sent to the feeding centre, but one thing is certain – it was food extremely poor in any nutritional value. You can’t tell from the puffy face, which is swollen with kwashiorkor. Clothes also cover up the swollen belly.

Malnourished children reach for all sorts of things to cheat hunger, if only for a moment. Sometimes they simply give in to the illness and no longer ask for anything to eat. Their eyes stop searching.

Timothée arrived very late, but made it in time. Kwashiorkor was already visible on his legs, which were covered with wounds. Rescue seems so simple and yet so hard to come by when farms are simply shelled and harvesting is not an option. All it takes is a few cups of nutritious food a day.

Timothée’s eyes, though shy, are already smiling. Thank you for saving another child with us. In April alone, you took care of 210 children like this brave seven-year-old. We prepared over 84 litres of bouille (a nutritional drink) and over 400 full meals for older children and their families. When we say that with you we can do anything, we say it with conviction.

The nutrition centre works all the time and feeds everyone who needs it. Will you help us save the kids this May?