A Perfect Gift for the FutureDebbie Will-Dryden — Oakville, ON
Thanks to you, our donors, six thousand more Ugandan children are now sleeping comfortably under their mosquito net, building their health and avoiding the bite of a malarial mosquito. At each distribution site, we reinforced the use of the mosquito net by explaining: “It is very, very important to us that you sleep under your mosquito net every night.” The children and their caregivers would nod seriously, a look of understanding in their eyes. Then, to the cheers of our audience, we would teach the children and their caregivers how to use the net. According to the World Health Organization [WHO], “on the ground level, malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Uganda and is responsible for up to 40% of outpatient visits, 25% of hospital admissions, and 14% of hospital deaths.”
We know that by donating to Sleeping Children Around the World you have helped 6,000 children avoid being a part of these statistics. We also know that beyond the physical implications of malaria are its social and economic tolls. For example, the negative effect of malaria creates costs for both the individuals and the officials who govern the country. The WHO details this further: “Costs to individuals and their families include: purchase of drugs for treating malaria at home; expenses for travel to, and treatment at, dispensaries and clinics; lost days of work; absence from school; expenses for preventive measures; expenses for burial in case of deaths. Costs to governments include: maintenance of health facilities; purchase of drugs and supplies; public health interventions against malaria, such as insecticide spraying or distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets; lost days of work with resulting loss of income; and lost opportunities for joint economic ventures and tourism. Such costs can add substantially to the economic burden of malaria on endemic countries and impede their economic growth.”
The negative effects of malaria are far-reaching. Yet, the positive effects of your gift of a bedkit are equally momentous. We also explained to the children that the bedkit is a gift from the donors who care about them very much. The children were so excited about their gift from you, and we were so excited to give it to them. It's like finding the perfect gift for someone and being both excited and unable to wait for them to open it, because you know they are going to love it. The bedkit is that perfect gift. The children are delighted and grateful and beyond that, we know that all the bedkit items will help them today and better their tomorrows. One of the songs the children sang to us includes the line, “We are the future of Uganda.” We believe very strongly that with the items in this year’s bedkit, the future of Uganda looks very bright indeed. Thank you donors for shaping the future of Uganda. |
