Hunger and Shame: Child Malnutrition and Poverty on Mount Kilimanjaro (Paperback)

~ Mary Howard (Author) "On the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, francis Lema struggled to contain his anger as he spoke about his two dead children and two living sons,..." (more)
Key Phrases: Medical Center, Mzee Lamumba, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...make[s] important contributions to the fields of international health and nutrition." -- Medical Anthropology Quarterly

...make[s] important contributions to the fields of international health and nutrition.
–Medical Anthropology Quarterly

An examination is presented of child malnutrition among a relatively wealthy populace, the Chagga of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Views of family members, health workers, and government officials provide insight into the complex of ideas, institutions, and human fallibility that sustain malnutrition. Discussing the moral and practical dilemmas posed by the presence of malnourished children in the community, and exploration is presented of the shame associated with child hunger in relation to social organization, colonial history, and the global economy. The work of NURU, the Nutrition Rehabilitation Unit, established among the Chagga in 1972 is discussed. A joint European/USA NGO, NURU provides an instructive example of the cultural complexities that must be confronted if nutrition rehabilitation is to succeed.
–M. Howard, Millard, A.V.

Product Description

In discussing the moral and practical dilemmas posed by the malnourished children in Mount Kilimanjaro, the authors explore the shame associated with child hunger in relation to social organization, colonial history and global economy.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (September 16, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415916143
• ISBN-13: 978-0415916141
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,091,822 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book, March 22, 2000

By	Howard White (IDS, University of Sussex) - See all my reviews

This is the single most important book on African poverty you are likely to read. Ok, it doesn't compare with the scope of Cliffe's The African Poor. But it is very powerfully written and extremely insightful. Those familiar with participatory assessments will know they often find that respondents blame the poor for their plight (not surprising, we do the same in developed countries) - but these results are usually ignored by the researchers. This book demonstrates how important this finding is - not because the poor ARE to blame for their poverty, but because the stigma attached to being poor creates a social poverty trap.