Jolene's Story

Like most of the children in her slum neighborhood in Haiti, the climate doesn’t bother Jolene — but the lack of sanitation does. Parasites entered through the soles of her feet. Worms living inside her likely began to siphon nutrients from the meager food she eats, and the pain it caused would send her screaming through her home each night.

Her family is poor, and her mom had no money for doctor visits or medicines. For Jolene, the treatment worked almost immediately. A worm five inches long was ex­pelled within minutes of her first dose. Her mother said it was a “blessing.” She knew, without the help of World Concern donors, her little Jolene might never have been released from this suffering.

What's making kids so sick?

It’s sickening. The squeamish among us would rather not think about intestinal worms. But they are a reality for millions of children in developing countries. Poor hygiene, lack of clean water and sanitation – even bare feet – lead to parasitic infection. The effects are debilitating: malnutrition, pain, sickness, sleep disturbance, poor school attendance – all things that perpetuate poverty.

But there’s a simple cure, and it costs just 44 cents. Deworming medicine, followed by a dose of vitamin A, can restore a child to health.

Ideally, World Concern would provide the 44-Cent Cure in every village with children who suffer from intestinal worms, but we can’t do it without your help.

Your compassion will mean that a child can live without worms.

You can help 100 children by donating $44 right now.

A long-term solution

With World Concern's 44-Cent Cure, children quickly feel better. Their bodies will usually pass the worm or worms within a couple of days. Our next challenge is to prevent the worms from returning. Hygiene education helps immensely.

With an ongoing monthly gift, you can go beyond the initial cure and fund better sanitation and clean water supplies to boys and girls who need it most. It will help keep the worms away.

Children who are freed from worms are able to focus in school, and have a better chance to reach their potential.

Donate Now

Children Need a Chance to Live

More than 1/3 of the world's population suffers from worms, with the most intense infections in children and the poor. Infection can negatively impact all aspects of a child's development. Worms are often ingested as eggs through contaminated water. They grow in the intestines of their host and cause many problems:

• Worms rob them of valuable nutrition and hydration
• Worms make them more vulnerable to disease
• Worms often cause a lack of energy, hunger and nausea
• They cause a vitamin A and iron deficiency
• Those suffering often find eating and sleeping difficult
• In about 60,000 severe cases a year, worms kill

Educators & Health Experts Working Together

• We begin with a chewable dose of Membendazole (de-worming medication) and vitamin A
• The medication kills the worms in the intestinal tract and the vitamin supplement helps it work
• Vitamin A increases immunity and helps prevent blindness
• We return in six months for another dose
• We educate people on the importance of good sanitation and hygiene in order to keep the worms away
• We build latrines in villages and teach hand washing. Often, children learn about germs for the first time
• Whenever possible, we also build clean water systems to prevent the worms from returning