Malaria // A small word with an insurmountable impact. A small bug holding the fate of #Uganda on a thread. Just one bug, one bite, and your life could be cut short. 4 syllables with a separate bite of their own as they sting the hearts of my friends, my community, and my family in Uganda. My home. // Out of the 29 teachers at my school, 10 of them have lost a child to malaria. One third have outlived their kids, a painful and life-shattering occurrence for any parent in the world. Of the 100 pupils I administered the reading assessment to, 79 pupils have had malaria before and 61 have been treated more than once. And of the 1800 pupils at my school, every one of them raised their hand when asked if they knew someone who had died from this powerful parasite. The statistics are so much more than alarming and heartbreaking for me; what hurts the most is looking into these fearful eyes full of sorrow and knowing how preventable this sickness truly is. // The symbolic irony I have discovered in #malaria is sickening. Physiologically, malaria is characterized by an intermittent cycle of fevers while the parasite multiplies exponentially in your liver and red blood cells. Every 4-8 hours, it hits. I have heard stories and witnessed the consequences of malaria in society and it is just as horrific. Pupils are terribly sick, can’t perform well in school, and are beaten for not participating in class. These children then stay home where they are beaten for not being able to perform their household chores. Eventually, some will get tested and receive treatment for their malaria if they can afford it. They recover, return to school, and are beaten for their absenteeism. It is never-ending. Yet, it is avoidable. // As a PCV I cannot craft up a cure to malaria today or tomorrow. I cannot bring back the daughters, brothers, and mothers who are mourned for every day. I cannot take away the grief in the hearts of their survivors. I recognize I am one person; one person who can make a huge impact, as are you. Through our individual efforts to raise awareness and educate our communities we can #eradicatemalaria - the time is now. #peacecorps #howiseepc #stompoutmalaria #vscocam
