Stomping Out Malaria

As you are aware, if you read this blog, there are MANY initiatives and causes that Peace Corp Senegal takes under their wing, and likewise, there are many causes and initiatives I have decided to take on. Stomp Out Malaria in Africa is one of those initiatives and with rainy season in full swing, it is time to talk a little bit about malaria. Stomp Out Malaria was started on World Malaria Day 2011 and has taken the continent by storm.

This initative is spread across the whole of Africa and is totally run by Peace Corps volunteers. Covering a total of 20 countries, it has united 3,000 volunteers who all care about the same cause: to end malaria in Africa. The goals are simple:

1.  Reduce malaria where we work: i.e.Universal bed net coverage, malaria prevention and treatment education programs in all Peace Corps Volunteer communities in Africa by 2013.

2. Contribute to reduction of malaria in target countries: through work with partner organizations and host country initiatives we will achieve the Millenium Challenge goals of reducing deaths caused by malaria globally (by 50% or more), and substantially reducing deaths caused by malaria in all 22 African countries we work in by 2020

3. Help build an online community of malaria prevention workers: i.e. promote documentation and sharing of malaria prevention practices between posts across the continent and internationally between the initiative’s partners.

Peace Corp Senegal has been the host to 4 Malaria Boot Camps where volunteers from all over Africa come and talk about the different ways people are promoting the prevention of malaria. I was not able to take the trip up to Thies for these big boot camps, but I did go to a smaller version of the camp here in Tamba. Our "Malaria Team" went on tournee through the country and gave us some of the newest information on what Peace Corp Senegal is doing to get rid malaria once and for all.

Last week, I took a little trip with one of my work partners to a village called Haltou Fass. Ibrahima (my work partner) works for Africare and teaches a literacy class there. We decided to collaborate and do some malaria work in the process. I taught a causerie in Mandinka, and he translated into Wolof. It was a lot of fun and I think we were able to get the messages across about the appropriate way to hang, clean and care for a mosquito net.

Teaching a little about how to wash a mosquito net

Ibrahima translates my Mandinka into Wolof

Womens' Literacy Class

So how do you play in? Take a visit to the Stomp Out Malaria website, LIKE it on Facebook, follow them on Twitter... keep up and do whatever you can to support this cause.