Writer Rob Rushin hopes to help kids in Uganda

Rob Rushin is a big picture guy. Global, really.

But Rushin, a writer and musician based in Tallahassee the past eight years, admits that his latest project is unlike any he’s ever tackled.

Working with a friend who is CEO of a company that produces all-natural peanut butter and has access to a peanut product that can alleviate malnutrition effectively and inexpensively, Rushin is hoping that next month he will be in refugee camps in Uganda helping to make the world a little bit better place.

“This is a large leap for me,” Rushin, 57, said. “This is in many ways untested territory. This feels like it makes a difference.”

The problem is incredibly complex. The solution being offered by Rushin and the folks at Good Spread, the company he is partnering with, is quite simple.

Starvation is a way of life for millions of children in Uganda. It’s a crisis that’s been made worse with the addition of hundreds of thousands of immigrants from South Sudan fleeing strife in that sub-Saharan nation.

A child in this region dies from starvation roughly every 8 seconds, according to the United Nations. The cost to feed a child a peanut-based supplement for six weeks and undo the devastating effects of malnutrition is a mere $50.

“It’s not a save the world scheme. We’re not going to stop the civil unrest in southern Sudan, but we can change some individual lives,” Rushin said.

But there’s a catch. Before Rushin can go with the team from Good Spread next month, he needs to be able to pay for his plane fare. He’s also hoping to cover some of the costs for spending 10 days in Uganda.

Working with the education fund at the Domi Station incubator on Railroad Avenue, Rushin has managed to raise more than half the estimated $4,000 for his round-trip plane ticket. He figures he’ll need $10,000 to cover everything. If he’s successful getting his flight paid for, he said he will worry about the rest of his expenses when he returns.

Rushin plans to chronicle his journey and the efforts of Good Spread, which is affiliated with a peanut production plant in Fitzgerald, Georgia, and a non-profit company called Mana Industries.

Mana produces MANA, a ready to use therapeutic food, or RUTF, that is approved by the United Nations. MANA is a 3-serving per day treatment that lasts about 5-6 weeks, and has a 90-plus percent effectiveness rate in reversing the symptoms of severe acute malnutrition. Packets of MANA can be put on a swab to feed a child so malnourished that he or she is unable to consume food.

Robbie Vitrano, Rushin’s longtime friend and the chief executive officer of the three-year-old Good Spread, is eager to have Rushin accompany his organization in Uganda. He wants Rushin to film and write about the situation in Uganda, and how relatively small amounts of money can make a large difference in an impoverished area of the world.

“Rob’s curiosity and his storytelling lends itself nicely to what we’re trying to do,” he said. “Rob has the ability to tell this story accurately and in a compelling way.”

Vitrano works with World Vision, a non-government agency affiliated with the United Nations, to determine areas of high need. Mana’s RUTF products have been delivered in recent years to the Congo and Nicaragua.

“There’s always a little bit of anxiety associated with going to another part of the world. There are certain conditions that can occasionally be dangerous. We’ve got great partners that help us make sure we navigate it carefully,” he said.

Rushin said he doesn’t know what to expect — provided he’s able to fund his trip.

“I’m a comfortable American,” Rushin said. “It’s going to be completely new to me culturally and politically. I’m confident that I wouldn’t have been asked to do this if it was terribly unsafe.

“It’s remarkable what’s happening here. It’s a little miracle,” Rushin added. “You can save a child who can’t even swallow food. I find that more than amazing.”

INFO BOX:

To help fund Rob Rushin’s trip to Uganda, visit his blog, immunetoboredom.com and click the Donate button at the upper right of the site. 

If you prefer to donate via check, remit to: Domi Education

914 Railroad Ave. Tallahassee, FL 32310.