In honor of World Malaria Day, April 25, 2015, and all of
the great work that Peace Corps volunteers around the world are doing to help
defeat malaria:
Dear Mosquito Net,
I can’t believe it’s already been over a year since we met!
I must admit, before we met I’d heard some things I wasn’t sure I liked –
you’re too hot, you give people skin rashes, you’re ugly… But right from the
start, we became very close friends.
Yes, it’s true that you can be a bit stifling, but it really
doesn’t compare to the 100+F temperatures brought on by that Senegalese sun,
and I’ve never had issues with skin rashes. As for being ugly, I can’t speak
for others, but the first night I slept under you it was like I was a princess
in one of those white flowy beds you see in the movies. There is just something
magical about you.
That
probably stems from the fact that you are one of the best ways to prevent
malaria if used correctly every night. Malaria is still one of the biggest
health problems in Senegal, a country where the entire population is at risk of
malaria (World Health Organization). As of 2012, we were still experiencing 59
malaria-related deaths for every 100,000 people (WHO). Countless organizations
and government entities like the Senegal National Malaria Control Program and
the USA President’s Malaria Initiative are working tirelessly to protect
Senegal from malaria. And mosquito net, with your help and the help of your 1
billion other friends that have been given out in Africa since 2000 (Malaria No
More), we are well on our way to defeating malaria.
I
know it’s not an easy task but you seem up to the challenge. You’ve only had a
few minor slip-ups, like that time you let a mouse in while I was sleeping, or
those earwigs that somehow find their way in periodically. But, you’ve kept out
countless other critters, and the night a bat came in my hut and started
banging against my door, I felt safe knowing you were with me.
You’ve
been scratched up more than a few times, mainly by that platform of sticks that
I call a bed, but I do my best to keep you in shape. I sew up your cuts when
you’re hurt, and after seeing how much dirt came off you the first time I
washed you, I’ve made sure to wash you every few months.
I
promise to keep doing these things for the next year as long as you keep
shielding all of my friends and me from malaria. Thanks for always being there
for me. You’re a lifesaver, literally!
Your Senegal Peace Corps Volunteer,
Lindsay
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| Educating school kids about malaria! |
Thanks for reading! Peace & love,
Lindsay
