Esder Emilia Escalante Aguirre was born on July 29th, 2007, in the Cuyuta village, township of Masagua, Escuintla. Her mother, Estefany Abigail Aguirre, says that since she was very young, she showed a slow growth and severe anemia, problems that made her get constantly sick, and caused her a lack of energy and appetite. 

When the Quaker Qrece project reached the Cuyuta village, the person in charge of the health center knew about Emilia’s health, so she invited her mother to participate in the process, which included informative meetings, trainings, and nutritional evaluations to control the child’s height and weight.

From the moment Emilia joined the Quaker Qrece project and started consuming the specialized food, Estefany noticed a change in her daughter’s life. Her skills emerged, it was suddenly easy for her to gain new knowledge, her appetite increased, and she started to leave the malnutrition condition she was diagnosed with. 

Estefany said that she responsibly attended all the activities developed by Quaker Qrece, since besides receiving the specialized meals, she also participated in a skill development process where she learned that they had to eat in a healthier manner and avoid eating other type of food that did not contain nutrients. This was meant to help her entire family, especially the children’s health, as paying attention to their children was the only way to witness the changes she wanted so deeply as a mother.

The change in Emilia is remarkable, as during the year she participated in the project she gained 13 pounds and grew 11 centimeters in height. She is now a very happy and dynamic girl that enjoys playing every morning with her little brother in their backyard. She dreams to be a model when she grows up.