The Rotary Club of St. Catharines South (RCSS) and the Rotary Club of Karachi (RCK) united in 2018, signing an MOU to combat malnutrition among children under five and pregnant and lactating mothers in Pakistan, where 250,000 children die annually, and 42 percent of children under five are stunted. This collaboration birthed the Trust for Malnutrition and Stunted Growth (TMSG), with esteemed Rotarians such as Aziz Memon of RCK and Najeeb Syed of RCSS serving as trustees. To date, TMSG has touched the lives of 42,000 children and 8,000 mothers across 20 cities in Pakistan. Through over 64 operational clinics, TMSG not only screens individuals but also provides essential therapeutic food under medical supervision, free of charge to those in need.
- Najeeb Syed
In March 2023, Humaniti International, a registered Canadian charity, joined forces with TMSG Karachi, pledging $100,000 to adopt 32 established clinics within TMSG's nutrition program over a year. Their mission: to combat malnutrition and stunting among children under five by supplying ready-to-use therapeutic food. Despite the daunting task, TMSG successfully achieved this objective, thanks to the diligent efforts of the selection committee led by Aziz Memon, Salman Mubarak, and Najeeb Syed. The progress made by the adopted clinics has been remarkable, positively impacting numerous children and mothers. The partnership between Humaniti and TMSG has proven to be sustainable, effective, and empowering, offering hope to families and sparing them from heartbreak.
In a recent development, the Humaniti team revisited Pakistan, where they visited two clinics and met with TMSG trustees, primarily Rotarians. Impressed by TMSG's impactful work, they are considering increasing funding to introduce micronutrient supplements for child and maternal maintenance post-recovery from malnutrition. They have requested a proposal for their consideration and are also exploring the possibility of increasing funding for procuring ready-to-use therapeutic food. TMSG, a Rotary-run program supervised by volunteer Rotarians, continues to touch countless lives daily, providing essential therapeutic nourishment to starving children and revitalizing them with ready-to-use therapeutic food, boasting an impressive 95 percent success rate in restoring health.
Furthermore, the recent visit of the RCSS International Chair Najeeb Syed to the RCK meeting was a resounding success, marked by the distribution of eight Paul Harris awards to individuals contributing to the fight against malnutrition. This visit further solidified the partnership between the two Rotary clubs and marked significant progress in their shared mission.