Timeline

Dr. Wolff, a St. Louis pediatrician, and her family first visit Haiti in 1988 with Bob & Jane Corbett’s “The Haiti Project of St. Louis.”

Dr. Wolff returns to Haiti often over the next 15 years, volunteering in clinics and witnessing first-hand the devastating poverty that Haitian children endure.  While in Haiti, Dr. Wolff treats malnourished children who suffer from diseases and infections that their weakened immune systems cannot fight.

Dr. Wolff visits RUTF pioneer and Washington University colleague Dr. Mark Manary in Malawi.  After visiting Dr. Manary, Dr. Wolff is inspired to transfer the best-practice therapy of RUTF to Haiti.

This grant provides funding for a hand-grinder and production of 100 kilos per month of Medika Mamba in Haiti.

MFK’s first Board of Directors is led by Board President Pina Hanson. Membership includes Alice White, RN, Lisa Zarin, Barbara Smotkin and Candace O’Connor.

MFK moves its operations from a church schoolroom located in downtown Cap-Haitien to the private home of the current program manager, just four blocks away.

Meds & Food for Kids becomes a registered non-profit 501(c)3 corporation in the United States.

MFK continues to face many challenges including lack of water and power.

MFK moves its operation to a new location that will allow for increased production of Medika Mamba.

MFK puts a motor on the hand-grinder, which allows for increased production of Medika Mamba.

MFK staff members are able to obtain cell phones in Cap-Haitien, provided by Haitel.

MFK presents the idea of RUTF (Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food) to the Ministry of Health.

MFK moves to a new location in Kaite-O, for an improved location with better access to fresh water.

MFK relocates to a larger, new home in Monbin, which allows for increased production of Medika Mamba.

Dr. Joseline Marhone, Haiti’s Director of Nutrition for the Ministry of Public Health & Population, writes a letter to Dr. Patricia Wolff, endorsing the use of RUTF (Medika Mamba) in Haiti.

MFK is awarded the Development Marketplace Award by World Bank.  The purpose of the program is to transfer knowledge of malnutrition treatment to the public health sector.  Over 2,000 children are treated in the study.

Hurricane Gustav crosses the south peninsula, including the Sud and Grand’Anse departments, causing approximately 77 deaths and 8 disappearances.

Hurricane Hanna ravages the Artibonite and Nord-East departments, flooding several towns. In addition to Gonaïves, several towns in Jacmel, Nord-Est, Sud and Sud-Est experience flash flooding, killing one person.

Because of the Hurricanes and flooding, there is no diesel fuel in Haiti.  Forced to improvise, MFK uses buckets and barrels to carry fuel from the Dominican Republic back to Cap-Haitien so that the production of Medika Mamba can continue.

Hurricane Ike, a category 4 hurricane, grazes the western coastline of Haiti, leading to heavy rains in Nord, Ouest and Nord-Ouest departments.

MFK is one of four winners of Inter-American Development Bank’s Innovation for Inclusive Development competition.

MFK receives “Non-Governmental Organization” status from the country of Haiti.

Catholic Relief Services contracts MFK to provide Medika Mamba to PEPFAR patients.

Lori Dowd brings a video team to Haiti to film the “story” of Meds & Food for Kids for the first time.

Fellows Jamie VanArtsdalen and Manoushka Germian join MFK as fellows.

MFK receives a one-year extension of the World Bank Grant, which allows for treatment to continue at Justinien Hosptial in Cap-Haitien, Haiti.

A 7.0 earthquake occurs at 16:53, local time. The earthquake kills between 230,000 and 316,000 people. Its epicentre is approximately 25 km from Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. A dozen secondary shocks of magnitudes ranging from 5.0 to 5.9 register during the hours that follow.

MFK launches Capital Campaign with Chair Thad Simons, CEO of Novus International and Peter Raven, President Emeritus of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Haiti faces a Cholera epidemic that claimed the lives of at least 3,597 and affects over 340,000.

Hurricane Tomas hits Haiti and kills at least 10 Haitians.  The disaster worsens the cholera epidemic.

Dr. Wolff is joined by MFK staff and local leaders for the groundbreaking of MFK’s new factory.

Global Health Frontline News and CNN Heroes recognize the positive affects MFK has had in treating malnourished children and working toward the ultimate goal of preventing malnourishment in children.

Edesia, along with Meds & Food for Kids, a PlumpyField partner in Haiti, is awarded a grant through the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program Micronutrient-Fortified Food Aid Products Pilot (MFFAPP) to develop and test a new fortified school-feeding product for Haitian children.

MFK receives key funding from LGT Venture Philanthropy and GAIN that allows for work to begin on the planned factory outside of Cap-Haitien, Haiti.

MFK is awarded highly competitive USDA McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program Grant for the development of Vita Mamba.  The grant allows MFK to develop and implement a school snack program through Haiti’s National School Snack Program.

MFK is awarded a 4-star rating with Charity Navigator!

The first Kanaval Gala is held at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.

MFK has the honor of participating in a peanut production training in Limbe, Haiti, hosted by the Georgia-based non-profit League of Hope. Dr. Bob Kemerait and Dr. Tim Brenneman from the University of Georgia, both experts in peanut pathology, offer great insights and suggestions on improving peanut yields and post-harvest storage, as well as on reducing disease and aflatoxin contamination.

MFK staff, farmers, and families are all delighted to reach this tremendous milestone.

MFK is the only food producer in Haiti to be accredited by Doctors without Borders.

MFK conducts a study aimed at improving the mother/child bond and aiding in the prevention of malnutrition.

Nearly 500 friends and supporters soak up the sounds of an authentic Haitian RaRa band and sway to the rhythms of a Haitian dance troupe all evening long.

President Bill Clinton and more than twenty investors visit Haiti’s northern department to witness the positive changes occurring in Haiti and to look for potential investment opportunities.

Dr. Patricia Wolff is honored in the 2013 “Most Influential Business Women” awards ceremony.

The St. Louis Chapter of LINKS honors Dr. Patricia Wolff for her humanitarian efforts at a luncheon at the Ritz Carlton hotel.

The MFK depot becomes part of the newly launched Acceso Peanut Enterprise Corporation of the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership (CGEP) network of 35 planned peanut depots.  This partnership will expand the reach of key programs to over 12,000 smallholder farmers and provide MFK with additional opportunities to purchase raw materials in Haiti.

Meds & Food for Kids’ Facility in Cap-Haitien, Haiti exports 40 MT of life-saving Medika Mamba to Guatemala.   Haiti, UNICEF and MFK work together to save lives in other countries.

The Ethical Society of St. Louis honors MFK and Dr. Wolff for bringing compassion and technology together to save lives in Haiti. The prestigious award recognizes an individual or group in the St. Louis community that has provided courageous and dedicated service to maintaining the rights and dignity of fellow human beings in varied aspects of life.

MFK hosts donors and supporters during a week-long visit to the new factory in Cap-Haitien, Haiti.  Visitors are able to see schools, malnutrition clinics, tour the factory and meet farmers in the field.

500 guests join MFK at America’s Center to enjoy Haitian-inspired cuisine, Haitian art and our new video celebrating our newest milestone, exportation!