Malaria is a disease that
we in the United States are lucky enough not to have to worry about fighting
off. However, across the globe it is one of the most deadly diseases. It is the
leading cause of disease and death in Kenyan communities, especially in the
under 5 population. In this cohort in Kenya about 34,000 deaths are recorded
each year. During pregnancy if a woman contracts the parasite it can cause her
baby to have low birth weight or even be still born. She is especially
vulnerable because the parasite thrives in the placenta. It is a disease that
is made worse by poverty, and unfortunately that is a main reason for its huge
presence in the area of Kenya that I live in. 77% of Kenyans, about 28 million
people, live in an area where the plasmodium flaciparum parasite is present.
Throughout the country the disease accounts for 35% of outpatient visits to
hospitals and clinics.
This
is why organizations such as Peace Corps, USAID, and PSI are putting huge
efforts to effectively treat and prevent the disease and hopefully eradicate
it. As a part of this effort, the organizations teamed up and Peace Corps
Volunteers were provided with free t-shirts, messenger bags, and footballs
(soccer balls) with malaria messages on them. We were able to hold events that
promoted malaria prevention and awareness in honor of World Malaria Day, which
is April 25.
Myself, Breezie and
Joy held a day event on April 27th to promote this education. We had
a girl’s football match as well as a boy’s football match along with a small
lunch and malaria awareness education. The event was held at a local secondary
school in my area. We discussed malaria itself and what it is and how you get
it, as well as the cost of malaria, whether prevention or treatment was
cheaper, and how to properly use a bed net and how to repair it. The education
was successful and the crowd was over 200 people, which was a great number!
The girls team I brought to participate in the event from Chebukaka Secondary School!
The boys team I brought to the event from Teremi High School!
Working with my CHW Fred to discuss the cost of malaria. Both preventative costs and treatment costs, and how prevention and proper bed net usage can save families thousands of shillings each year!
Finishing off the event with a raffle of the items that were left over from USAID/PSI, as well as a couple of bed nets provided by the district!
However,
with ups come downs, and there were several frustrations that cropped up. Most
of them revolved around the issue of free items. The t-shirts and bags we
received from the organizations were a wonderful way to bring people into the
event, however we were not provided a limitless amount. Instead we had enough
to provide one for the students who participated in the event, as well a few
for our health workers and some to raffle off at the end of the event. This was
difficult because people often just came up to me saying, “Where is my
shirt?” or, “Why is there not one
for me?” This was frustrating for me because it was often adults who I had
previously discussed the event with. The shirts were for the students and that
was not the main point of the day. This showed another instance of the donor
syndrome that is so apparent in my area. I was disappointed because the people
who were continuously asking were adults who knew better, not children. Having
an event with “swag” like this was definitely a learning experience, and I
believe that if I have the opportunity to do something similar I will organize
it differently. The focus of these types of events is to have fun while
learning about health topics that affect the people in the community, not about
what can be given out for free. I
am glad to have done the day and educated the people in my area, and even
though it was not my favorite day in Kenya, I can’t say I regret doing the
event. With each new experience you learn about the people and the culture, as
well as yourself and what you will deal with and what your values are. You have
got to just keep moving forward, and that’s exactly what I did! =)
More next time- love and sunshine,
Lindsey Rae
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